News Broadcasting
Padmalaya works on indigenous animation series for Zee
NEW DELHI: Padmalaya Telefilms Limited (PTL) is gearing up to air a 52-episode 22-minute flash animation series on Zee TV, scheduled for early 2004. The serial, titled Bheema Keema, is being targeted at the urban and semi-urban ‘Hinglish’ language speaking kids of the country. The series is being planned for Sundays during the primetime slot.
Bheema Keema is a concept targeted at eight to 15 years olds. The main highlight of this serial is that it will be the first Indian animated television serial of 52 episodes showcasing on Zee TV, says Rajiv Sangari, vice-president, PTL and head of Zee Institute of Creative Animation (ZICA).
Bheema Keema is about two main characters, positioned as smart kids facing challenges and adventures in day-to-day life. The other secondary characters are Happy Singh and Chichi, the side-kicks, Pummy the pet dog and Dr. Kamal, a cranky genius scientist. The scripts and treatment has been conceptualised as per the lifestyle of the target audience.
Since these semi-metro kids have access to all the latest gizmos and gadgets, and they often fantasize to do something adventurous, mischievous and sporty in real life, they are attached to such concepts on television through which they can relate themselves directly, says Sangari.
PTL through its own animation division ZICA is gearing up for the bigger projects. As there is also a huge demand for skilled animation in the country, and very few trained animator available in the industry, to bridge this gap PTL has its own Animation training division, ZICA Training Academy, the only training institute that develops all the areas of an artist right from drawing skills to 2D and 3D Animation. Thus preparing the new breed animators for full-fledged production, says Sangari.
PTL has worked in the local market mainly for Zee Telefilms, including television commercials for Zee News and Esselworld, and television channel packaging for premier channels in DTH for Zee.
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.
