News Broadcasting
UTV plans to own 49% in UTVi holding firm
MUMBAI: UTV Software Communications, an integrated media company owned 59.9 per cent by The Walt Disney Company, plans to buy a 49 per cent stake in a special purpose vehicle, which would own UTVi, the business news channel owned and founded by Ronnie Screwvala and his affiliates.
The decision follows the amendments to the foreign direct investment (FDI) guidelines in February 2009 on calculation of direct and indirect foreign shareholding in Indian companies. The changed guidelines consider investment by a company registered in India in a subsidiary as domestic shareholding as long as the company is majority owned by Indian shareholders.
Screwvala and his affiliates will own the balance 51 per cent in the Indian Special Purpose Vehicle Company as the resident Indian and founder promoter of the business news channel.
The board of UTV Software has taken an in principle decision to invest up to 49 per cent in the special purpose vehicle, the company said in a notice to the Bombay Stock Exchange. It will immediately get an independent valuation done of UTVi and have it submitted to the board within four weeks.
Screwvala had earlier told Indiantelevision.com that UTV Software would acquire a 20 per cent stake in UTVi for $10 million. “The business news channel will get funding from UTV Software Communications and the promoter group,” Screwvala had said.
However, it could not be confirmed if UTVi had gone ahead with the transaction. The new FDI guidelines would allow The Walt Disney to own up to a maximum of 26 per cent in UTVi in addition to a 49 per cent stake in the special purpose vehicle.
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.
