News Broadcasting
TV9 Bangla Brands of Bengal eyes the state business leaders of today
Mumbai: TV9 Bangla, the Bengali news channel of TV9 Network organised ‘Brands of Bengal’ at Hyatt Regency recently. It honoured a handful of successful businesses spanning a range of sectors who have already made their mark in their domains in this state and hold out a promising future. Apart from the felicitation, panel discussions were held with the award-winning businessmen and homegrown start-ups in of sectors such as healthcare, food, education, real estate, finance, technology and FMCG. Three panels brainstormed on issues that posed challenges to the business community of the state in order to have a clear understanding of the path that lay ahead of them and the roadmap to future investments in Bengal.
The topics that the panels discussed were (Banglar Byabsha: Samashya O Samadhan) business in Bengal: Problems and solutions, (Banglaye Start-Up: Bhobisyot) the future of startups in Bengal and Shilpe Medha: Porijayi Sankot (Migration of talent: Challenge for industry.)
The awards were handed to the businessmen by Nicco Engineering Services Ltd MD, Honorary Consul General Republic of Korea & Chairman CII, Eastern Region Shiv Siddhant Kaul and CII, Logistics, Warehousing & MMT Subcommittee (CII, ER) chairman and The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I) managing committee member Debashis Dutta.
In between the panel discussions, prominent singers Rupankar Bagchi, Durnibar Saha and Jojo regaled the audience with their performances.
Some of the businessmen whose contribution in the state was recognised by TV9 Bangla Brands of Bengal included:
Bhadreswar Rice Mill (Lalbaba Rice) – Excellence in Rice Brand of Eastern India
Bharati Diagnostic Centre – Excellence in Diagnostic Care
Orient Gems & Ornaments Pvt Ltd (Orient Jewellers) – Excellence in Gold and Diamond Retail Outlets Chain of North Bengal
Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor – Excellence in Culinary Delight
Poly Majumder Mini Rice Mill (Appayan Rice) – Excellence in Manufacturing of Husking Rice
Samata Cooperative Development Bank Ltd – Excellence in Cooperative Banking Services
Bidhan Shishu Udyan – Excellence in All Round Human Development
Excellence in All Round Human Development – Excellence in Skill Development
Nopany Institute – Excellence in Career Oriented Education
Global Institute of Management Studies (GIMS) – Excellence in Placement in Hotel and Hospitality Management
Jai Balaji Group (JBG) – Excellence in Real Estate Ancillary
Sontoshima Enterprise & Sontoshima Udyog – Excellence in Multipurpose Packaging
Tek Foods – Excellence in FMCG Industry
M R Group of Colleges & Hospitals – Excellence in Higher Education and Health Care Sector
Brands of Bengal will be telecast on 14 January, Sunday 9.30 am onwards only on TV9 Bangla.
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.
