News Broadcasting
Tata Indicom launch low cost Motofone F3c having Qualcomm single chip
BANGALORE: Tata Indicom today announced the national launch of the ultra slim Motofone F3c on the CDMA platform in Bangalore today based on Qualcomm’s QSC 6010 chipset. On the anvil are launches of other chipsets – 6020 and 6030 with other handset manufacturers according to Tata Teleservices (TTL) CEO Darryl Green. The Motofone F3 will be exclusive for TTL for the next six months. Bollywood actor Neha Dupia did the honours for TTL.
TTL plans to target the ordinary man who probably gets a cell phone for the first time with the low cost stylish handset as bait. The Motofone F3c is priced at Rs.1,699/- inclusive of all taxes and charges. TTL plan to combine Motofone F3c with the benefits of their GO XTRA PACK, will enable customers to avail double talk time for the first six months with bonus talk time valid for 1 year from the date of activation. The scheme also offers free incoming calls for the first six months without recharge. Darryl is confident of selling 2 to 3 million of these handsets over the next 12 months.
This was also the first global launch of the single chip by any company globally according to Qualcomm senior vp Kanwalinder Singh who avers that “QUALCOMM is committed to bringing wireless connectivity to emerging markets, and our QSC family of solutions enables compelling, affordable devices for cost-sensitive countries such as India. We are pleased to be working with Motorola and Tata in bringing the Motofone F3c, and look forward to further collaboration with the industry toward the common goal of making connectivity accessible to more people worldwide.”
“Though many companies have announced single chip solutions, they are so far only there on paper,” added Singh.
The Motofone F3c has features such as voice prompts in six local languages—English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, the QUALCOMM Single Chip (QSC) enabled device from Motorola, MOTOFONE F3c has been specially designed to suit the needs of Indian consumers. It offers a rich vacuum metallized finish making it extremely sturdy, with polyphonic ringtones including three Indian tones, high audio, office quality speakerphone and ringtone downloads.
TTL, which recently crossed one million subscribers in Karnataka and two million subscriptions in New Delhi, is looking to close the financial year with 18 million subscribers. They currently have 15 million subscribers.
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.
