News Broadcasting
India Today’s Putin interview goes global
NEW DELHI: India Today has scored a rare global hit. Its exclusive interview with Vladimir Putin has rippled far beyond Indian screens, racking up vast audiences, heavy newsroom pickup and sustained international chatter, according to the group’s newly released media impact report.
The numbers are arresting. The interview generated 235 million video views across television and digital platforms, with peak concurrent live viewership hitting 1.2 million worldwide. Social media added muscle, delivering 5.8 million interactions across Meta platforms, X, Instagram and YouTube.
The reach was not merely wide, but influential. The report records coverage, citation and attribution across 25 leading international media organisations, alongside prominent front-page and headline placements across Europe, Asia and the global south. International pickup included BBC, Reuters, Associated Press, The Washington Post and The New York Times, supplemented by extensive regional and multilingual adoption.
Measured against other recent political exclusives, the contrast is stark. High-profile Western interviews—ranging from Donald Trump’s appearances on 60 Minutes and ABC’s 100 Days to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s US broadcast engagements—drew strong domestic audiences but struggled to travel. India Today’s interview, by contrast, became a sustained reference point across global newsrooms, policy debates and diplomatic discourse.
Depth mattered as much as scale. Beyond live transmission, the interview continued to draw audiences weeks later, with digital consumption remaining robust and social engagement signalling active participation rather than passive reach.
By peak live viewership and post-broadcast performance, the report ranks the interview among the most-watched real-time global political conversations in recent years.
“This milestone marks a powerful start to the year and reinforces our commitment to journalism that shapes conversations across borders by asking questions that resonate with the global citizen,” said Kalli Purie, vice chairperson and executive editor-in-chief of India Today Group.
In a crowded media world, attention is fleeting. This one travelled—and stayed.
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.
