News Broadcasting
Prasar Bharti collaborates with IIT Kanpur for direct-to-mobile broadcasting project
Mumbai: Today, there is a shift in viewing habits from linear television to OTT and from theatres to OTT. The rise in content creation is leading to more and more jobs for people. With the arrival of 5G, there is the possibility of direct-to-mobile broadcasting. In a collaboration, Prasar Bharti and IIT Kanpur have come up with a proof of concept whereby, with a small attachment, there can be a direct-to-mobile broadcast. So, without purchasing data, there can be 100-200 channels streamed direct to mobile.
Speaking at Ficci Frames Fasttrack 2022, I&B secretary Apurva Chandra said, “Without data and high-quality internet, users will be able to see high-resolution movies and listen to digital radio on their mobile phones. This change is coming. It will happen.”
He also announced that a report on the creation of an AVGC task force will be submitted soon. He noted that there were reports on skills, gaming, education, incentives, and other policy aspects within the task force. They are all being combined and will be submitted to the authorities. He added that the report will be adopted during the course of the year.
“AVGC is the future of this country. The best Hollywood films are being created in Bangalore and other places. AVGC will be the next great revolution like IT was 30 years ago,” he stated. Furthermore, he mentioned changing the cinematography act to include anti-piracy provisions. Also, there will be an age classification within the U/A category. The aim is to bring in amendments to the Act and put it before Parliament during the winter session.
He further added that the AVGC centre of excellence, which has not seen the light of day over the past six years, aims to do this only in collaboration with the private sector. An in-principle decision has been taken in this regard. A total of 26 per cent of the task force will be owned by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), 48 per cent by the ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B), and 26 per cent by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Ficci).
He also said that the media and entertainment industries should target a combined size of $100 billion by 2030. He noted that during National Cinema Day, theatres were full even in the morning. That, he said, shows that you can get people to view movies in theatres as long as the ticket pricing is right. National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) will be the cinematic arm of the I&B ministry. The four film units will be merged into one. The film facilitation office will be revamped, he concluded.
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.
