News Broadcasting
Inox to float IPO, plans 9-city expansion
MUMBAI: Inox Leisure Ltd, which operates a chain of multiplexes, is all set to enter the capital market with its initial public offering (IPO).
The offer of 16,500,000 equity shares of Rs 10 each for cash at a premium will be decided through the book build process, the company announced in a release.
Part of the proceeds will be used for expansion into new territories. Inox plans to set up multiplexes in Hyderabad, Chennai, Lucknow, Vishakhapatnam, Raipur, Kolkata, Darjeeling, Bangalore and Jaipur. The company already operates eight operational multiplexes and has a total of 32 screens, across seven cities – Mumbai, Pune, Vadodara, Goa, Jaipur, Kolkata (two multiplexes) and Bangalore.
The offer consists of issue of 12,000,000 equity shares, of which 2,00,000 equity shares are reserved for allotment to employees of the company, and an offer for sale of 4,500,000 equity shares of Rs.10 each by Gujarat Fluorochemicals Limited, the promoter of the company.
The net issue to public, exclusive of the reservation of employees, would be 16,300,000 equity shares. This will constitute 27.17 per cent of the fully diluted post issue paid up capital of the company, informs the official release.
Of the net issue to public, 50 per cent has been reserved for allotment to qualified institutional buyers, of which 5 per cent is reserved for allotment to mutual funds, 15 per cent to non-institutional investors and the balance 35 per cent to retail investors on a proportionate basis.
Inox has entered into an alliance with Pantaloon Group of companies, which provides it with a preferential access, as a multiplex operator, to real estate developments.
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.
