News Broadcasting
India re-elected to ITU council; Garg elected to Radio Regulations Board
MUMBAI: India has been re-elected to serve on the Council of International Telecommunication Union (ITU) during the elections held today at the 17 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference.
The Plenipotentiary conference is the supreme organ of the ITU, which comprises of 191 member countries. 161 Countries have participated in the voting today. India secured 113 votes at this election. It may be recalled that India has been regularly serving on the ITU Council since 1952, according to an official release.
This conference is the top policy-making body of the ITU held once in every four years. The Conference sets the Union’s general policies, adopts four-year strategic and financial plans and elects the senior management team of the organization, the members of council and the members of the Radio Regulations Board.
The telecommunications department secretary D S Mathur is leading the delegation from India for participation in the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) which is being held from 6 November to 24 November 2006 in Antalya, Turkey.
India has been participating in the Council and other bodies of ITU effectively to ensure that the ITU policies and their implementation serve the national interest along with the overall interests of developing countries.
Meanwhil, P K Garg wireless adviser to the government of India telecommunications department has been elected to the Radio Regulations Board (RRB) during the elections held today at the 17 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference, from the Asia and Australasia region.
According to the release, Garg secured 103 votes. The other members elected from Asia Region are from Pakistan and Malaysia.
The Radio Regulations Board of the ITU is a part time body comprising 12 elected part time members representing the world’s five regions (Americas, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa, Asia and Australasia). The Board has 3 members from the Asia and Australasia region.
It may be recalled that at the conference, India had also been earlier elected as chairman of the important Working Group of the Plenary dealing mainly with the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) issues, implementation of the Geneva (Phase 1) and of the Tunis (Phase 2) Action Plans of WSIS.
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.
