News Broadcasting
Shashi Panja headlines Times Network Growth Summit
MUMBAI: West Bengal’s economic ambitions took centre stage as Shashi Panja, minister for industries, commerce & enterprises, headlined the SRMB Presents Times Network Growth Summit West Bengal. Hosted by Times Network, the high-powered gathering brought together top voices from government, industry, and academia to map the state’s transformation into a future-ready growth engine.
Held in Kolkata, the summit featured deep dives into Bengal’s most pressing growth levers, from AI and robotics, skilling and MSME empowerment, to infrastructure and industrial transformation.
Among the marquee speakers were Ashish Beriwala, director, SRMB Srijan; Prof. Ved Prakash, former chairman, University Grants Commission; Vinod Gupta, managing director, Dollar Industries; and Prof. Biswajoy Chatterjee, vice chancellor, UEM Jaipur. The sessions explored ways to bridge academia and industry, catalyse intelligent ecosystems, and supercharge inclusive entrepreneurship.
Co-powered by Dollar Industries, University of Engineering & Management (UEM) and Sister Nivedita University, with OmDayal Group of Institutions and Julien Day School as associate partners, the summit concluded with a strong cross-sectoral consensus: Bengal is ready to lead, not just follow, in India’s next wave of economic acceleration.
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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.
