News Broadcasting
iTV Network ups Vikas Khanna as national sales head of India News
MUMBAI: iTV Network has elevated Vikas Khanna to the post of national sales head of India News.
Khanna was initially the senior vice president at India News. He will be responsible for driving the all India ad sales revenue of India News national and will continue to report to India News CEO Varun Kohli.
Commenting on the elevation, iTV Network MD Kartikeya Sharma said, “We are delighted to elevate Vikas as the national sales head of India News. This elevation is in line with our commitment to growth. His skills and wide experience will surely help India News reach the next level of growth.”
Kohli added, “Vikas has played an important role in India News sales and with his elevation as national sales head, India News, he will take on a wider role. His strong track record of delivering growth and his understanding of the industry will help us move forward on our path of continued success.”
“I am delighted and honoured to have been given the responsibility of driving the ad sales revenue of India News National. In this fiercely competitive market, I shall strive to further strengthen the various revenue streams of India News and achieve a robust growth in the coming year,” Khanna said.
Khanna previously worked with Network18 where he was responsible for the advertising sales of IBN 7 North region. He served India Today Group for six years and then moved to Times of India and thereafter to NDTV Media wherein he handled brands such as NDTV India, NDTV 24×7 and NDTV Profit.
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.
