News Broadcasting
Aquaguard & Network18 to honour ‘Water Heroes’ at ‘Jal Daan’ grand finale
MUMBAI: The first season of the ‘Jal Daan movement’, Network18 & Aquaguard’s social campaign around creating awareness and generating solutions to the drinking water crises in India is reaching its culmination with a gala ceremony on 24th March 2017 at Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai. The event will celebrate and salute the endeavors of ‘Water Heroes’ – individuals & organizations who have been working relentlessly around the issue of safe drinking water.
The Grand finale will also serve as a platform for stakeholders to come together and discuss, deliberate and exchange ideas to build a sustainable potable water ecosystem in India. The evening will be graced by the presence of Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister, Maharashtra as the Chief Guest of the event who will felicitate the ‘Jal Daan Water Heroes’. Noted actor & Unicef Goodwill Ambassador Madhuri Dixit, acclaimed lyricist, Prasoon Joshi, and social reformer Bindeshwar Pathak, would be the Guest of Honor.
To discuss India’s drinking water problems and accessibility for all, a special panel discussion will take place with eminent personalities including Priya Naik, Founder & CEO, Samhita, Anuj Sharma, CEO, Piramal Sarajal, Dr. Shriram Nene (Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeon), Bishwadeep Ghosh, Director, Arghyam, Dr. Thuppil Venkatesh (Professor Emeritus, St. John’s Medical College) and A.V Suresh, Eureka Forbes, President- International Operations & CEO Forbes Professional at Eureka Forbes.
With amplification across the Network 18 bouquet of channels and digital assets, the ‘Jal Daan’ campaign has gathered great momentum and successfully mobilized people to take note of India’s drinking water woes, encouraged them to do their bit by taking a pledge to donate 5 litres of healthy & safe drinking water every day to those who don’t have access to it. Over the last six months, the campaign has garnered more than 3 million pledges from citizens from all walks of life – a testimony to its efficacy.
The initiative has emerged as a significant crusade in galvanizing popular sentiment towards an extremely important cause and creating a better future for our generations to come.
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.
