News Broadcasting
FIBP clears Star News FDI proposal
NEW DELHI: The Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) today cleared the application by Media Content Communications Services (MCCS) India, the holding company for the Star News venture here, to infuse foreign equity amounting to 26 per cent from Star News Broadcasting Ltd.
MCCS has sought permission from the Indian government to uplink content for the Star News channel.
The clearance came after the information and broadcasting (I&B) ministry gave its go ahead for the same.
What this means is that now the impediments have been removed for a final permission from the I&B ministry for long-term uplink from India, senior I&B ministry officials said. However, the I&B ministry can still ask questions and seek clarifications from MCCS.
MCCS proposes to have a paid-up capital of Rs 625 million according to an application submitted to the government on 22 September.
The authorised share capital of the joint venture between the Aveek Sarkar family-controlled ABP Pvt Ltd and Star Group Pvt Ltd, the application had said, would be Rs 700 million, while the current paid-up capital is Rs 100,000.
MCCS is the company that would uplink and look after the affairs of Star News from India wherein ABP holds 74 per cent equity stake and Star has a 26 per cent shareholding. The former shareholders of MCCS, including ad man Suhel Seth and Balaji Telefilms chairman and actor Jeetendra, were bought out by ABP.
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
