News Broadcasting
HTMT to merge media units, plans IPO
MUMBAI:Hinduja TMT may merge its media subsidiaries into a single entity and opt for an initial public offering (IPO) by next year.
Chairman Ashok Hinduja announced this at the company’s annual general meeting on Tuesday. Among the companies that will be merged are InNetwork Entertainment Ltd (INEL), Cable Video India Ltd, IndusInd Entertainment Ltd (IEL) and IndusInd Media and Communications Ltd.
While the finer details of the IPO, including the size of the issue, are yet to be worked out, Hinduja said that Shop24Seven, the companys media and e-commerce company, will also go in for an IPO next year. The home shopping satellite TV channel was launched in November 2001. Hinduja said that the shopping channel was set to break even in 10 months of its existence.
HTMT recently acquired 100 per cent equity control in Cable Video India Limited (CVIL) by buying out the 49 per cent stake of Asia Vision Entertainment Private Ltd. CVIL handles the Hindi cable movie channel CVO and has a library of 1,600 movies, while INEL is into production, acquisition and distribution of films. IEL is into local TV content and operates the IN brand of cable TV channels in several languages.
HTMT will continue to focus on its IT business and is aiming at a cent per cent growth in turnover and 70 per cent rise in net profit, Hinduja said. Export earnings from media and IT sector, said Mr Hinduja, are expected to increase from Rs 500 million to Rs 1250 million in the current fiscal.
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.
