News Broadcasting
ACER REACHES OUT TO YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS THROUGH THE PITCH SHOW
India is a young country brimming with innovative ideas, with 65 percent of its present population under 35 years of age. Aiming to connect with young minds across the country and helping them realize their true potential, Acer India has partnered with Bloomberg TV India in the show ‘The Pitch’. A one-of-its-kind show, The Pitch invites India’s best entrepreneurs to a contest of skills and business plans.
“India is set to become the youngest country in the world by 2020. Given the increasing significance and visible impact of entrepreneurship, these young entrepreneurs need to be nurtured well. We have always reached to the country’s youth, enabling them with cutting-edge technology. With our association with the Pitch show, we aim to take our youth-connect to another level and encourage young talent in India”, said Mr. S. Rajendran, Chief Marketing Officer, Acer India.
The Friday, 18th October episode of The Pitch show will feature contenders creating innovative television commercials for the top-of-the-line Acer S7 Ultrabook. Every week viewers stand a chance to win an Acer Iconia B1 tablet by answering two simple contest questions. The grand finale of the contest will witness one lucky viewer taking home an Aspire S3 Ultrabook by successfully guessing the final winner of the show.
Ms. Amrit Rai, Business Head – Bloomberg TV India said “As a premier business news channel of India, we believe that we need to deliver more than just stock and trade news. Through ‘The Pitch’ Bloomberg TV India continues to strengthen its commitment to make a difference to viewers’ lives. We have always encouraged the spirit of entrepreneurship in the country. There is no dearth of ideas but the buck always stops at the funds and through this show the winner not only gets the funds but also a direction for his/her idea .With the aim of promoting spirit of entrepreneurship, we are glad to have a global powerhouse like Acer associate with us for this Endeavour.”
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.
