News Broadcasting
Toonz Animation inks MoU with Kinfra to acquire 6 acres
MUMBAI: Animation studio, Toonz Animation India has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kinfra to acquire 6 acres of land.
The MoU was signed between, Toonz Animation CEO P. Jayakumar and Kinfra managing director A.S. Suresh Babu, at a function organised in connection with the Ficci seminar on animation, gaming and visual effects.
The Kinfra Film and Video Park, which expands to 75 acres, will accommodate the animation and gaming SEZ, which will spread out to 25 acres, informs an official release.
Minister of Industries, Elamaram Kareem, who was present at the venue, remarked that the best motivation for potential investors is to witness success stories. “Let me take one such case – Toonz Animation India is an achievement that Kerala is proud to showcase. It is indeed surprising that one of India’s leading animation studios is based out of the south-western corner of the country and not in any of the big metro cities”, he added.
While signing the MoU, Jayakumar expressed his excitement at moving into the company’s own campus at Kinfra said that they would completely relocate themselves with in a year. “We are indeed happy at the prospect of expanding ourselves and moving into a new campus. The new campus would house both the Animation studio and the Academy Division of Toonz. The added attraction would be the new Gaming division of the company which is slated to hit the scene soon.”
Ficci Kerala State Council chairman and The Muthoot Group chairman MG George Muthoot and Ficci adviser Krishnan Kalra were also present at the occasion
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.
