News Broadcasting
“Story-telling never change, but technology is making a huge change in it,” says Shekhar Kapur
Mumbai: The ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit 2023 was discussing the topic of “The Future is Here, Building the New Narrative.”The summit has brought together policymakers, cultural ambassadors, industry experts, celebrities, and business leaders to discuss the critical role of India during the global churn and changing dynamics. ABP Network is a multi-language channel with 535 million individuals in India therefore this summit provides one of the biggest platforms for the brightest minds across various sectors to express their views.
“Digital has allowed me to do anything on screen and we do not need to roll the negatives to shoot a movie now. If we embrace the metaverse right then it will be a trillion-dollar business for the Indian film industry. It will not just film, it will be content creation as a whole. There is a tsunami of content coming in, which we need to be prepared for” said Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.
He added, “If I can’t disseminate my product in metaverse in 15 minutes then somebody else will.”
Speaking at the second edition of the “Ideas of India” Summit, Kapur said, “If you believe in something, you believe in it. If I hadn’t believed in my career I may not be here. I have never been scared of losing when I am doing something I believe in. If you lose because somebody has else said something to you then you will never forgive yourself.”
He added, “Panic is fundamental to creativity for me. There is no structure and only chaos, creativity arises out of chaos. Life comes out of chaos. You make sure that you know what you are doing and people should know what you are doing.”
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.
