News Broadcasting
Trai mandates 6 months validity period for tariff plans
MUMBAI: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India today notified the 31st amendment to the telecommunication tariff order (TTO) 1999, mandating minimum validity period of six months for tariff plans offered by access providers from the date of enrolment of the subscriber to the tariff plan.
The amendment protects the subscribers from any increase in tariffs during the said six months period and at the same time, the service provider shall be free to reduce tariffs at any time.
The subscribers in the said tariff plan shall be free to choose any other tariff plan, even during the six months period. The service providers are also mandated to accept and implement all such requests for change of plan immediately or from the start of next billing cycle.
The above decisions have been taken by the authority after a consultation process, which focused on the consumer concerns arising out of large number of tariff plans offered by the access providers. These include confusion in the minds of consumers affecting their ability to make informed choice, the frequent and sudden changes/withdrawal of the plans, transparency in charging, migration etc.
The Trai issued a consultation paper “Limiting the number of tariff plans by the Access Providers” on 8 March 2004 discussing the various aspects of the problems and proposing a cap on the number of plans that can be offered at any point of time by the access providers.
In view of the responses received during the consultation process and also in view of the dynamism in the market on account of intense competition, the authority has decided not to change the existing cap of 25 tariff plans on offer. At the same time the authority also felt that there is a need to enhance the level of transparency in provision of service especially in the manner in which the tariffs are offered and implemented.
The authority has, therefore, decided to incorporate the above provisions in the TTO thereby making its compliance mandatory for the access providers. The new provisions would curb the practice of the operators offering new regular tariffs/tariff plans and withdrawing or revising it suddenly, upsetting the basic considerations on which the subscriber has exercised his choice for the tariff.
The new provisions will ensure that the service would be available to the subscriber for the chosen price level at least for a period of six months and also make the migration of the subscribers from one plan to another more transparent and consumer friendly.
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.
