News Broadcasting
NDTV captures popular music of different Indian Diaspora communities in documentary
MUMBAI: NDTV has lined up a three-part documentary series – The Music of the Diasporas – on the popular rhythms and ragas that have evolved amongst native Indian communities based in the French Reunion Island, Trinidad and Tobago and England. This is the music that has liberated and nourished the souls of communities of Indian origin and these are the rhythms of the uprooted, the music of the resettled. This three-part documentary that captures the popular music of three different Indian Diaspora communities, will be aired on NDTV 24X7 from 11 December at 10:30 pm.
In an attempt to record Indian beats transcending borders and ethnicities, The Music of the Diasporas is a eulogy to the musical manifestations born out of the clash of cultures, the conflicts between generations, and a search, both internal and external, for a sense of identity in an alien, ever-changing world.
French Reunion Island: NDTV visited the French Reunion Island, near Mauritius. French by nationality, the people of this island have found a powerful expression of their liberation from slavery as well as a celebration of their multiracial, multicultural identities in the popular ‘Maloya’ music. Here African rhythms collide with Indian religious chants, the beats of the ‘tambour’ invite those of the African drums to join in and a new vibrant music is born that defies differences and unifies experiences.
Trinidad and Tobago: British colonial labour trade brought thousands of indentured labourers from India, mainly from East UP and Bihar to the islands of the Caribbean to work alongside African slaves in the sugarcane plantations. Today their descendants in Trinidad and Tobago are blending traditional folk songs of North India with Calypso beats and African rhythms to produce the hottest music, aptly labeled Chutney. Rikki Jai, the Soca Chutney Monarch performs for various audiences in the annual Carnival in Port of Spain, the sitar and tabla play alongside the steel pan in Mangal Patesar’s orchestra, the celebratory mood in the country takes us from the beaches to the temple as it is Basant Panchmi soon after the Carnival is over.
England: This film travels from London to Birmingham filming live performances in clubs, in radio stations, in Indian neighborhoods, rehearsals in studios, attempting to catch a glimpse of England’s pulsating experiments with multiculturalism. Johnny Kalsi’s Dhol Foundation, DJ Ritu’s Bollywood inspired remixes, Kuljit Bhumra’s studio in Southhall , Avtar Lit’s Sunrise Radio, Hard Kaur’s experiments with rap and a pulsating weekend in Brick Lane. The personalised histories of small and upcoming Asian artistes come together to reveal those of a new generation of Asians asserting their identities and erasing boundaries, in this series.
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.
