News Broadcasting
VSNL is SEA-ME-WE4 global consortium cable system network administrator
MUMBAI: Telecommunications major Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited (VSNL) has been chosen as the network administrator for one of the world’s largest and sophisticated trans-continent cable systems-SEA-ME-WE4 (South East Asia-Middle East-Western Europe).
This is the first time that an Indian company has been chosen as the network administrator for a global consortium cable system. The SEA-ME-WE4 consortium has 16 members.
VSNL also hosts the network-operating centre in Mumbai. The twin role of network administrator and hosting the operating centre will enable VSNL to play a key role in the day-to-day operations of the cable system.
Says VSNL executive director N. Srinath, “VSNL has built and acquired extensive global submarine cable networks, and is well positioned to become a major provider of bandwidth and managed services to carriers and enterprises, globally. The fact that 16 telecommunications companies from different countries across Asia, Africa and Europe have joined hands to build the SEA-ME-WE4 underlines the importance of cooperation in a global world. VSNL is privileged to have been chosen as the Network Administrator of this cable system. Now with the commissioning of the SEA-ME-WE4 system, we will be able to enhance our network coverage in Asia, Africa and Europe.”
A consortium of 16 partners, comprising leading global telecom carriers, announced at Dubai on December 13, 2005 the completion and inauguration of the high-capacity fiber-optic submarine cable that stretches from France to Singapore. This latest cable named SEA-ME-WE 4 (South East Asia, Middle East and Western Europe), is the fourth in a series connecting three continents over a distance of almost 20,000 kilometers having design capacity of 1.28 Tera bits per second.
The 16 companies that form the consortium are: Algerie Telecom, Bharti (India), BTTB (Bangladesh), CAT Telecom (Thailand), Etisalat (UAE), France Telecom, MCI, PTCL (Pakistan), Singapore Telecom (SingTel), Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), Saudi Telecom (STC), Telecom Egypt, Telecom Italia Sparkle (Italy), Telekom Malaysia, Tunisia Telecom (Tunisia) and VSNL.
The SEA-ME-WE4 cable is initially equipped with 160 Giga bits bandwidth using state-of-the-art DWDM technology along with latest 640Giga bits matrix Digital Cross Connect in every station. The system can be upgraded up to its final design capacity of 1.28 Tera bits.
VSNL is a leading player in the submarine cable bandwidth business globally. In addition to owning capacity on several cable systems the company has also built the Tata Indicom Cable (India-Singapore) and acquired the undersea
cable assets of Tyco Global Network (TGN).
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.
