News Broadcasting
National Award for Miditech co-founder Niret Alva
MUMBAI: Miditech co-founder Niret Alva has been awarded the National Award for his ‘Outstanding Effort in Science and Technology in the Electronic Medium’. President APJ Abdul Kalam hosted a special felicitation ceremony for the winners and was also attended by Minister for Science and Technology Kapil Sibal and R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor.
The National Awards instituted in 1988 by the National Council for Science and Technology Communication, Ministry of Science and Technology encourages and recognizes efforts in the area of science popularization.
Alva was presented the award for using the electronic medium to powerfully convey the traditional science and current developments in the country.
Accepting the award Alva said, “I am truly overwhelmed by this moment. I wish to thank the Government of India for giving me this honor and recognition. It will be my endeavor to continue using the electronic medium in a more progressive and powerful manner”.
He has developed and built major brands like Indian Idol, Galli Galli Sim Sim (Sesame Street), Wheels, and Living on the Edge. Alva has also anchored travel shows (Great Escape), automobile (Wheels) and environment (Living on the Edge and Earth Report).
Niret Alva will also be representing India at the Asia 21 Young Leaders Forum in Kochi from 3 to 5 March. Alva had earlier chaired the first session of the Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit in Seoul last year where the focus was on value-based leadership.
The Asia 21 initiative unites professionals from across the Asia-Pacific region representing varied spheres, ranging from business and politics to media, arts and culture. The meet in Kochi is designed to share and discuss best practices in leadership and problem solving.
Excited at representing India at the Asia 21, Niret Alva said “I am honored to be a part of this forum. This is a great opportunity for me to interact and collaborate with dynamic people from various regions and understand the challenges faced by our society. I hope to contribute to this forum to the best of my experience and knowledge. “
The first meeting of this year’s class of fellows will address topics related to protecting cultural heritage, human security, environmental protection, economic development, corporate social responsibility, public health issues.
Shaffi Mather, Malini Mether and Logsang Sangay are other delegates chosen to represent India at the forum.
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.
