News Broadcasting
NDTV puts top management in place
MUMBAI: There’s top management restructuring at the troubled news broadcaster NDTV group. The company has been at the receiving end with the income tax authorities for the past few years following “unjustifiable’ tax claims being imposed on it. And rumours have been abounding about its acquisition by other parties. Late October , the Securities Exchange Board of India cleared them of charges related to delayed financial results disclosures at the end of financial year 2011-2012.
The vacuum at the top – following the passing away of CEO KVL Naryan Rao – has been filled. The Prannoy Roy-Radhika Roy promoted company has moved NDTV Convergence Ltd CEO Suparna Singh to the corner office, managing the entire group as of 4 December 2017. The company’s website says that she ” as been with NDTV for 25 years and has the highest-level experience in all aspects of NDTV functions: editorial in both broadcast TV and internet, revenue and cost management. She has helped NDTV create and run a major new property in NDTV Convergence, which is internationally recognised. It is and has always been a profitable venture.”
The group’s director finance and group CFO Saurav Banerjee has been elevated to co-CEO. According to the NDTV website, “as part of his role as Co-CEO, Saurav works closely with the CEO in looking at operations and oversees financial planning, taxation, legal and compliances. Widely respected across the financial world, Saurav has been involved in raising finances, capital restructuring, mergers & acquisitions and statutory compliances with more than a decade of service with the company.”
Ravi Asawa is stepping into his shoes as group CFO, NDTV. Ravi has rich experience in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, treasury, corporate governance and financial processes across multiple knowledge domains like media, IT services, eCom and manufacturing industries. He is a finance professional with more than two decades of experience and has been the strategic backbone of the NDTV Group Finance team for more than nine years.
The announcement was made to the Bombay stock exchange following the go-ahead at a board meeting earlier today.
Also Read: http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/spicejets-ajay-singh-may-take-control-of-ndtv-170922
http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/ndtv-profit-to-be-shut-down-to-move-business-finance-segments-on-ndtv-24×7-170602
http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/people/ndtv-s-kvl-narayan-rao-passes-away-171120
http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/people/obit-in-memory-of-kvl-narayan-rao-171121
http://www.indiantelevision.com/television/tv-channels/news-broadcasting/ndtv-promoters-get-clean-by-sebi-chit-in-disclosure-case-171025
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.
