News Broadcasting
India TV transforms, brings back Aaj Ki Baat
MUMBAI: The change has been much awaited. Ten years in the news business and now one of India’s most popular Hindi news channels, India TV, has decided to undergo a complete makeover. Starting today, the channel will adopt a completely new avatar.
Taking advantage of the election frenzy going on in the country, the channel has decided to incorporate several changes to itself. The logo, designed by DY Works, has been made crisper with the orange globe in the centre. DY Works is a is a brand strategy and brand design firm in India and has done creations for names such as Yippee noodles, Dabur, Bar One, Lakme, Amul, Mahindra, TATA, Nestle, Britannia, Godrej and many more. According to sources, the logo design might have cost Rs 10 to Rs 13 lakh. US based packaging firm Renderon Broadcast Design has created the new look. Some of its previous clientele include Fox News, NBC, China’s CCTV News and CNBC Awaaz. The company’s website says has taken into account the channel’s current market perception and made changes to allow for the new positioning to come across clearly.
A new double story set type of presentation has been adopted, designed and executed by Broadcast Design International (BDI). Former BBC Lighting Director Mike Baker did the lighting for the new set. BDI’s stunning client list includes Bloomberg News, CNBC, Comcast, Fox, RTL, The Times Group, BAG Films and Sakshi TV. Even the microphones have been given a touch up by Germany based Schultze- Brakel that specializes in creating and designing on microphone windscreens. Microphone IDs of leading names such as Reuters, BBC, RT, UTV etc can be attributed to it.
The erstwhile popular show hosted by current India TV chairman and editor-in-chief Rajat Sharma called Aaj Ki Baat – Rajat Sharma ke Saath will make a comeback. The whole editorial team has been refreshed along with the look of the channel.
Capturing the revamp, India TV MD & CEO Ritu Dhawan said, “It is the result of months of seamless planning and execution by all involved with the refresh. The channel will soon launch a 360-degree marketing campaign to promote and reinforce the rejuvenated look and feel, programming and packaging. The campaign will elaborate and capture the thought and philosophy behind the revamp across mediums.”
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.
