News Broadcasting
Sanjay Khan churns out fresh mytho, historical for DD
MUMBAI: Sanjay Khan’s Numero Uno International Limited (NUIL), is launching two mega serials under its banner during the next week on DD National.
Maharathi Karna, a portrayal of the Mahabharata from the viewpoint of Karna, throws light on the life of this unsung hero adding a new perspective to this epic tale. The other serial, 1857 – Kranti, tells the story of Indias first war of independence. Both serials, directed by Khan himself, will be telecast on Doordarshan National. Maharathi Karna will be telecast every Wednesday and Thursday starting January 1, 2003 between 9 and 9.30 pm and 1857 – Kranti is to be telecast from December 29, 2002 onwards every Sunday between 11 and noon.
Khan, whose last offering Mahabharat on Zee TV last October was touted as the most expensive serial till date, has plans to go regional in the near future. According to an official release, the production house is toying with the idea of more acquisitions in languages other than Hindi and in-house productions for private channels. NUIL has also started operations in London to focus on international business opportunities where it plans to co produce with acclaimed production houses such as Hallmark Entertainment and Yorkshire Television, UK.
Formed in 1991-92, Numero Uno is responsible for historical and mythological programmes like The Sword of Tipu Sultan, The Great Maratha and Jai Hanuman. Since 1999, the company has started n-house marketing activities and acquisition and marketing of programmes other than its own, on Doordarshan and Sun TV.
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.
