News Broadcasting
INCableNet launches digital STBs on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturti
MUMBAI: IndusInd Media & Communications Ltd (IMCL), has announced the soft launch of its Digital TV Services, using the set-top-box in Mumbai city. Sources reveal that several senior INCableNet executives participated in the direct marketing and retailing (of set top boxes) exercise conducted on Sunday, 31 August 2003, in south Mumbai.
A press release says that in a symbolic gesture on the auspicious day of Ganesh Chaturti on 31 August, the INDigital set top box (STB) was released and inaugurated at the feet of Lord Ganesha at the Siddhi Vinayak temple at Mumbai. Incidentally, the cable trade in Mumbai has obtained a 10-day grace period due to Ganesh Chaturti and the rollout of CAS will happen only from 10 September after the Ganapati Visarjan.
Through the release, INDigital has also announced purchase and rental schemes for its high-tech digital STBs. This, says the release, will bring Digital Pay TV services within the reach of all who wish to watch pay channels.
As a special festive offer, the release adds that the outright purchase of its STBs at a special price of Rs 3,500 against the MRP of Rs 4,999. In addition to the over Rs 1,000 discount it, says the release, is also offering a booklet of special discount coupons valued over Rs 7,000.
The company has tied up with world-renowned vendors such as Nagravision (Switzerland) – a world-leader in Digital CAS Solutions for the deployment of the leading secure CAS System and integrating the CAS project; Tandberg (Norway) for the hi-tech Digital Headend; MagnaQuest (Hyderabad) for the SMS system; TechnoTrend (Germany) and Wistron (Taiwan) to provide STB’s of state-of-the-art design.
The company has also has an operational 24 hour call centre to provide customer support all through the year. The release claims that customers can reach out to a cable operator with all their queries, be it technical, operational or usage problems.
The release also adds that the STB, driven by a digital headend, provides crystal-clear reception of over 500 digital channels. The box allows the user to set a parental lock on channels that they do not wish their children to watch, create lists of their favourite channels and many new features.
INCableNet is also planning to introduce Pay Per View (PPV) of special and unique content such as prime movies, sport events etc. IMCL is soon to come out with unique digital content that non-STB owners cannot see.
The release says that the boxes are being initially deployed in South Mumbai, after extensive trials, and can be purchased by any customer in any part of Mumbai. Subscribers purchasing the STBs can avail of attractive schemes like gifts and prizes, and also low introductory prices for a short period – adds the release.
The scheme is now being extended to Delhi also, with the USP of the benefits of Digital Television.
INCableNet claims to be India’s largest independent broadband MSO. It claims that it is ranked among the 10 largest cable TV providers in the world.
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.
