News Broadcasting
Former Network18 Technology head Sanjay Sharma joins Bharat Express
Mumbai: Bharat Express onboarded Sanjay Sharma as its new chief technical officer. With over 30 years of experience in the media industry, Sharma brings a wealth of expertise in strategic planning and managing technical operations across broadcast.
As a media veteran and accomplished manager, Sharma was part of the broadcast boom in India during the 1990s.
In 1994, Sanjay joined TV18 and led the operations and technology team in several major milestones, including the launch of CNBC TV18 in 2000 and CNBC Awaaz in 2005, as well as the migration of channels MTV, Nickelodeon, and VH1 to India. He also played a pivotal role in the launch of the entertainment channel Colors TV and was instrumental in the launch of every channel for Network18.
Sharma has also served as chief operating officer of News18 Lokmat for five years. During this period, he had also served as director of operations for Network18. After Network18, he started his own Marathi news channel, Maharashtra1.
Speaking on the appointment of Sharma, Bharat Express CMD Upendrra Rai said, “We are excited to have Sharma on board and look forward to the valuable contributions he will make in strengthening our organisation. His experience in the technical domain will be of immense value to our group.”
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.
