News Broadcasting
Reliance Communications selects Aicent MMS gateway
MUMBAI: Reliance Communications has selected Aicent MMS Gateway, developed by Aicent Inc. – the California-headquartered provider of mobile data network services and solutions – to offer domestic and international Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) to its mobile subscribers.
Reliance has launched its MMS service which offers a vibrant and personalised messaging experience to its subscribers. By utilising the Aicent MMS gateway service, Reliance mobile subscribers can stay in touch by sharing photos, audio and video messages with their friends and family across India and around the world, informs an official release.
“Reliance has been at the forefront to introduce innovative applications that have redefined the scope of mobile telephony for our many million customers. We are glad to offer domestic and international MMS services to cater to the fast growing popularity of data and video applications among Reliance Mobile customers. With the launch of this interconnectivity we invite all other operators to integrate and to connect with Reliance’s subscriber base,” says Reliance Communications Application Services president Mahesh Prasad.
“We are excited to partner with Reliance to add value to their subscribers’ messaging experience in India,” says Aicent president-CEO Lynn Liu. Aicent’s global footprint and flexible, innovative service features enhance user’s experience and operator’s revenue streams. We continue to demonstrate our world-class mobile data expertise established by our data roaming, messaging and other next generation mobile data services.”
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.
