News Broadcasting
Rahul Kansal joins Network18 as group brand advisor
MUMBAI: Network18 announced the appointment of Rahul Kansal as brand advisor for the group.
Kansal joins Network18 from Future Consumer Ltd. Prior to that, at Times Group, he was the force behind campaigns like ‘Aman ki Asha’, ‘Teach India’ and ‘Lead India’ among others.
Many of these initiatives have received widespread acclaim, including India’s first-ever Grand Prix at Cannes. In his new role, he will mentor the array of brands within the network and develop innovative properties to strengthen their positioning and connect with the consumers. He will report to Network18, CEO – news and group editor-in-chief Rahul Joshi.
At Times Group, he was responsible for the financial health, editorial strategy and marketing for the Group’s newspapers: The Times of India, Mirror, Maharashtra Times, Navbharat Times and some smaller regional and English publications. During his tenure of 15 years at the company, The Times of India emerged as the world’s largest-circulated English newspaper.
Rahul has been an advertising and marketing professional for 38 years. He graduated from SRCC, Delhi University in 1977, and after an MBA from IIM Calcutta in 1979 worked with some of India’s leading ad agencies such as JWT, O&M, and Mudra DDB before joining The Times Group.
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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.
