News Broadcasting
Smriti readies for poll battle in Delhi
MUMBAI: Popular TV serial actor Smriti Z Iraani aka Tulsi of Balaji Telefilms’ flagship show Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi will be the BJP candidate in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk constitutency and will contest Kapil Sibal of the Congress in the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls.
PTI reports say Iraani’s name has been approved by BJP president M Venkaiah Naidu.
Confirming the same to indiantelevision.com, Iraani said that she received the confirmation from the party head office early this morning. “I had no two minds while saying yes. Ever since I put my first foot forward in this field, I have been committed and will continue to do so.”
Iraani joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in January this year, and has been one of the party’s earliest prize celebrity catches. She was appointed vice president of the party’s youth wing for a tenure of three years.
Iraani sounded tremendously upbeat and said that she would give a run for Sibal a run for his money. “Expect a tough fight from my side,” she said, adding, “The campaigning will be very fair and the BJP will not resort to any gimmicks.”
With her political career graph on the rise, what would she do if she won? Stay in Delhi? What would happen to her acting career? Iraani agreed that this was not an easy job because it would require her to serve the people of her constituency, but said she was confident that everything would fall in place when the time comes. “I can assure you of that,” she promised.
“There were only three tickets left when I was chosen and I am happy that the BJP has chosen me to serve from Delhi where I spent 22 years of my life,” concluded the 28-year old Iraani.
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.
