News Broadcasting
Playwin to start Maharashtra lottery on 2 Dec
MUMBAI: The much delayed Maharashtra chapter of the Playwin saga is about to unfold finally on 2 December.
Slated to begin earlier this quarter, after the Sikkim and Karnataka online lotteries were rolled out, the Maharashtra lottery has been branded as Megawin and Bonus Ball. According to Playwin officials, outdoor advertising has already been set in place while print and electronic advertising will be rolled out by 25 or 26 November.
While Saatchi&Saatchi have handled the Sikkim lottery account for Playwin, it is Ambience which will handle the Maharashtra online lottery for the company. With Maharashtra in the bag, Playwin has finished the set up for the three states for which it acquired licenses in its first phase of operations.
The focus, say officials, is now to organise ground events for the Maharashtra chapter of online lottery in the last half of the month. While ticket sales have ranged around Rs 150 to Rs 160 million per week thus far, officials estimate the sales to zoom upto Rs 200 to Rs 250 million once the Maharashtra lottery is in place.
Playwin Infravest Pvt Ltd, which has more than 3,000 lottery terminals spread over 14 states, aims to at least triple the number of terminals by next April.
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.
