News Broadcasting
Ortel plans to raise Rs 600-700 million
MUMBAI: Ortel Communications Ltd, the leading multi-system operator (MSO) in Orissa, is scouting for investors to raise Rs 600-700 million to fund its expansion plans which include commercial rollout of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services.
The company has approached merchant bankers and is even looking at raising funds through a private placement. “We are looking at all options including a mix of equity and debt. Our fund requirement for expansion is Rs 600-700 million,” Ortel Communications promoter Jagi Mangat Panda tells indiantelevision.com.
Ortel has recently issued redeemable preference shares to Finlay Corporation Ltd. (FCL), an overseas corporate body incorporated in the Bahamas and its subsidiary, of Rs 44 million with 8.50 per cent dividend per annum for a period of five years. FCL has 16 per cent stake in Ortel, sources say.
While VoIP is a main line of business activity the company wants to enter, other projects designed are digitalisation, expansion to other towns and upgradation to triple play services (voice, data and video).
Ortel has conducted a successful trial of VoIP telephony and plans to launch it commercially. The company also wants to expand operations from seven to 14 locations in Orissa and increase its broadband subscriber base. Ortel has over 180,000 cable TV and 7,000 data services customers.
The company holds a stake of below 25 per cent in Orissa TV which runs a local channel OTV with in-house news and current affairs programming. A second channel focuses on local origin entertainment and selected Hindi movies.
Cable TV service is marketed under the brand name of Skyview Home Cable. Data services are provided under the brand name of Ortel.net. HFC cable networks are designed and constructed with return path capability.
Ortel’s main problem is to prop up revenues through value-added services in a state where the average revenue per user (ARPU) is more or less flat. Ortel has built and is operating a hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) broadband communications networks to provide cable TV, high speed internet access and possibly telephony services in future. In cities like Bhubaneswar, it is charging a monthly cable TV subscription fee of around Rs 250.
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.
