News Broadcasting
Sahara Manoranjan’s ‘Saathiya’ to debut on 19 July
MUMBAI: And Sahara Manoranjan’s bid to provide different than rest entertainment continues. While the channel is still readying its game-plan for the quarter, its will soon debut a youth-romance show Saathiya – Pyaar ka Nayaa Ehsaas.
A Cinevistaas’ offering, this half hour daily will debut on 19 July, every Monday to Thursday, at 8:30 pm. The show replaces another daily Zindagi… Teri Meri Kahani.
Saathiya – Pyar kA Nayaa Ehsaas, is the story of three friends — Kshitij, Aryan and Gayatri. All three are portrayed as strong individuals, who make choices that define their destinies. Touted as a love story of our times, the show is all set to redefine the meaning of love and friendship.
While Kshitij Singhania aka Amar Upadhyay portrays a twenty something pampered son of export baron Vimal Singhania, his best friend and partner-in-crime Aryan Oberoi (played by Sanjit Bedi) is the son of debonair and ambitious Anish Oberoi (played by Shishir Sharma).
Kshitij’s motto is to live life king size, and party hard, cavorting with good-looking women and endless exotic holidays. Aryan, on the other hand has inherited his fathers style but isn’t as determined or has the hunger for success. He is as laid back as Kshitij.
Kshitij’s father Vimal Singhania, although, doesnt approve of his lifestyle, but the film buff Kshitij couldnt care less. Both friends have a calllous attitude towards love.
The third angle to this story is portrayed by Gayatri (played by Shradha Nigam), a small town girl. Gayatri is smart, intelligent, creative and yet naive and untouched by the complexities of urban life.
Produced by Siddharth Malhotra for Cinevistaas’, the creative director for the show is Namit Sharma; the show is directed by Kaushik Ghatak, while the screenplay is provides by Binita Desai.
The set is designed by ace designer Omung Kumar, while the title song is composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and sung by Shankar Mahadevan and Sneha Pant.
Besides Amar Upadhyay (Kshitij), Sanjit Bedi (Aryan), Shraddha Nigam (Gayatri), and Shishir Sharma (Anish Oberoi ), the star cast includes Manini De (Avanti Oberoi), Iklaq Khan (Vimal Singhania), Mandeep Mrinalini Singhania), Saurabh Dubey (Om Prakash Singh), Vanita Mallik (Dadi), Malini Kapoor (Geetanjali), Nisha Lalwani (Nandini), Vishal Sabnani (Aansh), Ashita Dhawan (Anoushka), Prashant Bhatt (Nikhil), Tarana Raja (Simran), Ragesh Asthana (Aniket chacha), Vandana Sajnani (Vandana chachi), Kavita Rathod (Kavita bua).
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.
