News Broadcasting
Mobile Vas services could touch Rs 45.6 billion in 2007: study
MUMBAI: The mobile value added services (Mobile Vas or MVas) industry could be worth nearly Rs 45.6 billion by the end of 2007, from its current size of Rs 28.5 billion.
These findings are a part of the Mobile Value Added Services Report, jointly prepared by the Internet And Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International.
A break up of the total market size of Rs 28.5 billion reveals that P2P (person to person) SMS or text messaging, continues to dominate the industry with Rs 11.4 billion, followed by ringtones, including caller ring back tones (CRBT) at Rs 10.26 billion; Person to Application (P2A) and Application to Person (A2P) at Rs 4.28 billion; games and data at Rs 1.71 billion and others (MMS etc) at Rs 860 million.
The P2P SMS revenue is accrued completely to the telecom operators. The remaining MVas revenues are distributed among content owners, developers and the telecom operators on a revenue sharing basis.
In the case of MVas (except P2P SMS) the revenue sharing arrangement is heavily in favour of telecom operators. This model is significantly different from more developed markets such as China where typically the operators are entitled to 20-30 per cent only. In the case of enterprise solution services, the revenue share arrangement between operator and short code owner is typically 70 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.
IAMAI president Dr Subho Ray says, “This is the first attempt at a market estimate for the industry and we are hopeful that government and industry will now look at the MVas industry with the attention that is due to it.”
He adds that for the market to grow and come out with innovative solutions three issues must be set right at the outset: revenue sharing and schedule of payments which is currently heavily in favour of telecom operators; stable and long term enabling policies by the government; and intra industry issues such as intellectual property rights.
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.
