News Broadcasting
‘Maharashtra is the Growth Engine of India’, says Maha CM Ekanth Shinde
Mumbai : The growth of Maharashtra will lead to the growth of India, as Maharashtra is India’s growth engine, said Maharashtra chief minister, Eknath Shinde.
Speaking at ABP Network’s second edition of the ‘Ideas of India’ summit on the topic of ‘Gateway of India – Reorienting the City by the Sea’, he said, “Maharashtra must and will contribute to the PM’s dream of five trillion dollars economy. Maharashtra has to work hard and achieve at least $1 trillion.”
In the session, Shinde discussed the measures taken by the Maharashtra government for the progression of the state. “Maharashtra has a huge potential for industrial development. We have infrastructure, connectivity, land and quality man-power, despite of this people were not coming.” To in-build trust amongst industries, he said that “we went and told the industry that we will support them in every way.” That has created a trust in the industry and in a few months we will “see industry coming in and this will generate employment.” The Chief Minister reiterated that, “We have removed all hurdles of growth in the state to fast track progress.”
On being asked about his relation with the centre, he explained, “We are getting enough support from the centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for development. We have even signed 137000 crore MoUs.” The Chief Minister also announced that 5000 km of access controlled highways were being built in the state to connect different cities with Maharashtra.
The summit promises an invigorating line-up of speakers with prominent figures from the world of business, politics, artists from the Hindi Film Industry, authors and other eminent sectors. The two-day conference confluences diverse ideas from various industries to promote India in becoming a burgeoning leader in the world.
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.
