News Broadcasting
NDTV Marathi Entertainment Awards to honour excellence in entertainment industry
MUMBAI: NDTV Marathi is stepping into the spotlight in a big way! The channel, known for its sharp political analysis and impactful journalism, has now ventured into the entertainment sphere with the launch of the NDTV Marathi Entertainment Awards. This new platform aims to recognise and honour outstanding contributions in Marathi cinema, television, and OTT.
In just a year, NDTV Marathi has carved a significant niche in the Marathi media landscape with comprehensive election coverage and insightful political conclaves. Now, the channel is channelling its influence into a sector that captivates audiences with its storytelling and cultural richness.
The NDTV Marathi Entertainment Awards 2025 will spotlight exceptional talent, celebrating artists, filmmakers, and content creators who are shaping Marathi entertainment. The awards will feature winners across three key segments: Jury Awards, Critics’ Awards, and Special Categories, ensuring fair and comprehensive recognition of talent and creativity.
The awards jury is nothing short of power-packed, featuring industry veterans and creative masterminds including:
· Advertising professional writer & director Bharat Dabholkar
· Director, writer & producer Swapna Waghmare Joshi
· UKP producer and Gravittus Foundation founder & president Usha Kakade
· Planet Marathi Group founder & head Akshay Bardapurkar
· Ravan Future Productions producer, director & writer Abhijit Phanse
· Film director & producer Aditya Sarpotdar
· NDTV Marathi Rahul Ningappa Khichadi
· Kamala Ankibhai Gowani Trust founder Nidarshana Ramesh Gowani
The awards will celebrate excellence across film, television, and digital content, recognising outstanding achievements in various categories. Honours for film and television include Best film, Best director, Best actor (male and female), Best supporting actor (male and female), Best story, Best screenplay, Best cinematography, Best editing, and Best art direction. Additionally, awards will be presented for Best TV show (fiction and non-fiction), Best series, Best music album, Best playback singer (male and female), and Best lyricist. The Critics’ Choice Awards will acknowledge exceptional work with accolades for Critics’ Award Best Film, Critics’ Award Best Actor and Actress, and Critics’ Award Best Director.
NDTV Marathi is not just reporting culture it’s actively shaping it. NDTV Marathi executive editor Niyati Bohra highlighted the industry’s meteoric rise, stating: “The Marathi entertainment industry is on a remarkable rise. Known for its rich cultural heritage and compelling storytelling, Marathi cinema, television, and digital content have gained traction with audiences worldwide. As NDTV Marathi, we look to recognize the individuals driving this growth and shaping the future of Marathi entertainment.”
NDTV Brand Studio revenue head Gaurav Dewani further underlined the significance of the initiative: “As NDTV expands its regional presence, the Marathi Entertainment Awards 2025 reflects our commitment to driving growth in the regional entertainment space. This initiative not only celebrates exceptional talent but also creates valuable opportunities for brands and stakeholders to connect with engaged local audiences, reinforcing NDTV’s leadership in delivering high-impact partnerships.”
With a distinguished jury and extensive category list, the NDTV Marathi Entertainment Awards 2025 is set to become a landmark event, raising the bar for excellence in Marathi cinema, TV, and digital content. Expect glitz, glamour, and a celebration of culture like never before!
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.
