News Broadcasting
Times Now: Navika Kumar elevated as managing editor – politics
MUMBAI: Times Network has elevated Navika Kumar as the managing editor – politics at Times Now.
A post graduate in economics and known for her extensive interest in Indian politics, Kumar has been credited for investigating and breaking some of the most prolific stories which include “Office for Profit” story that led to the resignation of Sonia Gandhi, the CWG scam that led to the exit of Suresh Kalmadi, the Augusta chopper scam and Aircel Maxis deal to name a few.
In her new role, Kumar will lead the political team and will guide the channel to scale greater heights by upholding the journalistic tradition of breaking exclusive stories that epitomize the channel’s position of ‘Action Begins Here.’ Based out of Delhi, she will directly report to Times Now chief editor Rahul Shivshankar.
Times Network MD and CEO MK Anand said, “Navika is known for her level of dexterity in handling both political and economic news and is a leading political historian and commentator of the current decade.”
Shivshankar asserted, “Navika is known for her extensive knowledge of Indian politics and business which reflects in the kind of stories she has broken so far.”
Kumar added, “Politics is the life blood of a vibrant democracy like India. Along with my colleagues at Times Now, we will set new standards in objective political reporting for all our valued stakeholders.”
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.
