News Broadcasting
Shweta Nanda nee Bachchan to host NDTV Profit show
MUMBAI: It’s the season of the Bachchan’s and here’s adding another one to the fray.
NDTV Profit announced a new show called ‘NextGEN’ to be hosted by Shweta Nanda, daughter of Amitabh Bachchan, who by her own admission was happy “playing a mother until NDTV Profit came up with this interesting concept”.
Starting Tuesday 8:30 pm NextGen, an interview based show will air as part of a 12 episode series. The interview series will focus on guests from diverse fields like art, literature, sports, films, fashion and business.
Speaking to the media on the need for a celebrity based interview show on a business channel NDTV Media CEO Raj Nayak said, “This is a show about Gen X’s aspiration, philosophy, ambitions and a vision to success. We, at NDTV, think that Shweta understands this generation best since she is a part of it and will be more comfortable talking to the guests and vice versa.The idea is to also provide programming beyond business and corporate world.”
The channel plans to air 12 episodes before it takes a break on the show. “Depending on the audience response we will extend it. NextGen on NDTV Profit is an effort to present diverse views of young Indians across several fields and not just restricting it to the world of business”, said NDTV Profit executive editor Shivnath Thukral.
NextGen is sponsored by Life Insurance Corporation of India. Says LIC head of corporate communications Poonam Bodra, “Although we had no specific person in mind as an anchor for the show, Shweta fits the bill perfectly. LIC wanted to be associated with a show that would focus on the youth and their thought processes.” Although she declined to comment further on the issue, she did acknowledge that this was part of the initiative to shift the image of LIC from the older generation to being more youth oriented.
Asked if she would ever consider having brother Abhishek and his fiancé Aishwarya Rai on the show as they are both role models for the youth, Shweta said, “They are family so bringing them on the show as guests would be a conflict of interest.”
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.
