News Broadcasting
Network18 urges citizens to stay safe with #MakeYourOwnMask campaign
MUMBAI: Network18 has launched a nationwide campaign exhorting people to make, wear and distribute home-made masks under #MakeYourOwnMask initiative. This is the latest initiative in a series that includes #StayHome and #IndiaGives, devised to battle the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“The campaign, announced last week, has three major planks — spreading consciousness among people to wear masks when outdoors, making those masks at home to reduce the stress on medical-grade masks that are in short supply and much-needed by medical workers and unleashing creativity and a spirit of involvement among people to produce these masks,” reads an official statement.
This is the second public awareness and engagement campaign regarding the current health crisis by the group after #IndiaGives, in the wake of the global health crisis. Network18 chief executive officer — Television News Avinash Kaul says: “Network18 takes its responsibility as a corporate citizens and a force for good in society very seriously. It has always been involved with causes that are aligned with nation-building, and given we are India's largest news network with three weeks’ lockdown reach at 50 crores unduplicated viewers, it is imperative that our campaigns are aligned with the issues of the day to create maximum impact.”
The campaign, an editorial initiative, will showcase a series of programs and videos across all its news channels and digital properties on ways to make masks using easily available material at home.
The channels will also telecast short DIY #MakeYourOwnMask tutorials throughout the day at the end of each bulletin to make this essential product accessible to everyone in their homes. In addition, the team of anchors and reporters will support the cause by wearing their homemade masks to further encourage the viewers about safety.
A digital campaign has been planned wherein people can log onto Firstpost and News18 websites to find DIY tutorials, graphics and social media feed of the campaign catching steam on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Viewers will be invited to share their selfies, photographs, videos and stories of making masks at home, which will be further amplified across the channels and digital media.
Network18 president – digital & corporate strategy Puneet Singhvi says, “The digital news fronts are already seeing a surge of a new audience and higher engagement driven by a need to keep up with updates and developments around the situation. This is true especially for a media house like ours that has a backing of the largest news network combined with massive digital reach. Through this campaign, we are looking at setting new standards of audience engagement.”
With this initiative, Network18 aims to spearhead wearing of masks a social norm and lead a definitive journey to ensure good public health. For more information, the group urges viewers to log onto http://www.news18.com/makeyourownmask
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.
