News Broadcasting
Sahara inks deal with K Sera Sera, Varma Corp
MUMBAI: Sahara India Pariwar has tied up with K Sera Sera and Varma Corp in a Rs 350 million (35 crore) deal.
The deal envisages production of ten movies in a period of two and half years.
The deal includes the substantial stake that Sahara has acquired in K Sera Sera. All the films will be creatively headed by talent powerhouse Ram Gopal Varma and some shall be directed by him as well. The first of these to see the light of day will be Ab Tak Chappan, which is scheduled for a 27 February 2004 release. This, along with several others in the pipeline, herald Saharas venture into what is popularly termed as New Age Cinema.
K Sera Sera Productions Ltd, a company formed by a group of NRIs has embarked into a major drive to enter the television content and movie making business in India.
Commenting on the association, Sushanto Roy, Chief of Sahara Media & Entertainment says, “Three entities with a progressive bent of mind have come together to make good films. Ramujis mastery in his craft has also inspired us to work together for the small screen.”
Parag Sanghvi, Managing Director, K Sera Sera says, “Our long term goal is to be among the top three production houses in India in the movies and television business. We strongly believe that our association with Sahara India Mass Communication Ltd. would bring the extra impetus and the drive to reach unmatched heights in the production world, within the Indian Entertainment Industry.”
Says Varma, “It gives me great pleasure to be associated with Sahara India Pariwar who have such grand visions of movie making. I imagine that we shall see great cinematic excellence together.”
Films produced by K Sera Sera include Darna Mana Hai and Ek Hasina Thi (already released) and Ab Tak Chappan (to be released in February). The movies currently under production are 2 oclock Murder, Naach, Gayab, Darna Zaroori Hai and James.
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.
