News Broadcasting
Jain TV reopens Mumbai bureau
MUMBAI: Jain Satellite Television – the former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of Parliament Dr JK Jain-prompted news channel – has reopened its bureau in Mumbai effective 1 November. The Mumbai office is led by bureau chief Waheed Ali Khan.
According to Khan, the Mumbai bureau has a strong team of professional reporters and cameramen, who will cover issues on business, crime, politics, social concerns as well as entertainment. Khan explains, “Our 24-hour coverage is expected to usher in the concept of ‘always on TV’. This would enable viewers to receive the information they need, in a format they desire. Manjit Singh Abrol is Jain TV’s network director of marketing and software distribution.
Khan, who claims Jain TV to be the first news and current affairs satellite channel in India, “even before Zee Network”, says their aim is to reach the majority of the 40-odd million cable and satellite homes in the country. “In India, out of the 40 million C&S households, approximately 16 million pay less than Rs 75 per month to receive cable TV. These households do not receive most leading news and business channels. In these households, Jain TV will be the only channel bringing in business information and free-to-air news,” Khan explains.
Programming line up for the channel includes interactive daily shows like Mazdoor ki Awaz (from 1 pm to 2 pm) and Health Online (from 4 pm to 5 pm), wherein experts are invited to the Jain studio to answer people’s queries on phone.
Only nine months ago, Jain TV had announced its revamp as a business news channel (See: Jain TV to start new innings as business news channel with budget specials). Khan however refuses to comment on the progress of that genre, and maintains, “All I can say right now is that we are just focusing on social and general news.”
Since its launch in 1994 as a general channel, Jain TV has been plagued by controversies linked to some bad business decisions, including a severe cash crunch and low visibility because of poor distribution deals.
Besides, there were some political restrains after the senior Jain’s clash with the BJP. However, Khan says the younger Jain – and Jain TV’s managing editor – Ankur, is optimistic to make the new project work.
And optimistic, the entire Jain TV team is, in spite of competition in the market. Khan says, “We don’t think any of the present channels are a competition. Our model is different and we are confident of ourselves. For us, media is more of a mission than business. We don’t want to wield powers through our media products, though the group has faced pulls and pressures from various quarters many times.”
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.
