News Broadcasting
Videocon-led consortium to buy Daewoo Electronics; deal worth $730 million
MUMBAI: A consortium led by India’s largest electronics firm Videocon Industries Ltd have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding MoU to buy South Korea’s Daewoo Electronics Corp for $ 731 million.
While Videocon will own 50.1% in the consortium, Brussels-headquartered private equity firm RHJ will own 49.9%. Woori Bank is acting as the principal bank of the creditor financial institutions committee (CFIC) for Daewoo Electronics for the proposed purchase of the equity and debt interest of the CFIC in the company.
Seoul-based Woori Bank spokesman Jung Hee Kyung has been quoted as saying that the purchase offer is an all cash one.
For Videocon, the Daewoo acquisition comes with its 25 manufacturing facilities in South Korea, the US and the UK, providing the Indian major with a global presence. Daewoo would not only help Videocon move up the value chain in the colour TV business, but also complement its previous acquisitions. In 2005, it had acquired the picture tube business of France’s Thomson for $291 million. Later, it also bought Electrolux Kelvinator India for $76 million.
Videocon Industries chairman & managing director VN Dhoot has been quoted as saying that the company would be able to leverage Daewoo’s R&D centres in South Korea for TVs, washing machines and refrigerators.
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.
