News Broadcasting
iTV Network’s Shikha Rastogi bags World Women Leadership Award
NEW DELHI: iTV Network president and group head – Human Resources Shikha Rastogi has been awarded the “Exemplary Women Leadership Achievement Award” by the World Women Leadership Congress 2016 (WWLC).
The award was given to Rastogi for demonstrating “excellent leadership and management skills” in the organisation and for making changes and achieving results.
Rastogi has been working to transform two key products, India News and NewsX through innovative talent management models and for “creating a culture of performance differentiation.”
She has been instrumental in nurturing and developing people’s function and leadership from the scratch in various organisations. Her plans, policies, initiatives and leadership skills have fostered growth, commitment, success and brought changes by achieving results for the organisations.
The World Women Leadership Award appreciates the profound role played by women as leaders, executioners and decision-makers, in shaping the future of the sector.
Speaking on the occasion, Rastogi said, “I am highly privileged to receive the recognition and would like to thank my entire team for their dedication, hard work and continuous support towards making this a success.”
Rastogi is an XLRI alumnus with over 15 years of experience. She has worked in diversified work environments like media, telecom, IT and ITES business operations spread across multiple geographies in India, the United States and South-East Asian countries.
She has been closely involved in creating winning teams and leaders by providing strategic direction, driving Talent Life-Cycle, leadership development, transitions and change management during M&A and international workforce relations.
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.
