News Broadcasting
Smriti Irani on ‘Aap Ki Adalat’: Indian taxpayers should not pay for Congress’ mistakes
Mumbai: This time, the headline-making India TV courtroom show ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ witnessed a back-and-forth with Union Minister Smriti Irani and India TV editor-in-chief and chairman Rajat Sharma. The entire session revolved around Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, his London trip, Amethi and the ongoing Adani Group row.
The exchange began with Irani hitting back at the Congress party for demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe and challenging Gandhi to answer her 5 questions. These were in context to numerous deals signed by the conglomerate during the UPA regime.
Defending prime minister Narendra Modi’s silence on the “Adani-Ambani” slogans, Irani asserted, “Modi is silent because he is the Pradhan Sewak. He has to gulp poison every day. As far as Adani is concerned, if you meet Rahul Gandhi, ask him these five questions.” She even criticised Gandhi and other party leaders for launching personal attacks on the prime minister and his family on several occasions, including on the demise of the latter’s mother.
The union minister further stated that it was during her reign that Amethi made significant progress as compared to when it was under Congress. “I demolished their 40-year-old empire in Amethi. The person they were extolling as the uncrowned king of their political legacy is now walking the streets,” she added.
In the fired-up interview session with seasoned journalist Rajat Sharma, Irani further scrutinised the statements made by Rahul Gandhi on the international platform regarding inviting foreign powers to intervene in the country’s functioning. Demanding his apologies on the same, she questioned, “Why should the Indian taxpayers pay for Rahul’s or Congress’ mistakes? He lied and insulted India in a foreign land. He invited foreign powers to intervene… This is an attack not only on our country but on Modi, it is an attack on our younger generation. Do you think our youth will sit silent and watch this tamasha (spectacle)?”
When Sharma enquired about the accusations made by the Congress on prohibiting Gandhi from making any remark in the parliament and Indian universities, due to which he had to address the issues on foreign soil, Irani rebuffed swiftly.
Citing examples of the slogans raised in the parliament by the Congress representatives, she said that parliamentary proceedings are in order, it is party leaders who need to act properly and apologise for making baseless comments.
Further addressing the allegation of the muting of mikes amid parliamentary proceedings by the Congress, she clarified, “How can the mikes be muted? Those who saw Rahul’s press conference can tell- was he able to speak alone? He needs an assistant to speak. Go through what he said. He said, ‘unfortunately I am a member of Parliament’. Yeh public hai, sab jaanti hai.”
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.
