News Broadcasting
BBC World Services Justin Rowlatt talks to Professor Jitendra Goswami on Indias mission to Mars
MUMBAI: After successfully discovering water molecules on the moon in the mission he led back in 2008, Jitendra Goswami has set his sights on Mars. Professor Goswami, director of national space research institute the Physical Research Laboratory, is the planetary scientist supervising India’s first mission to the Red Planet. The Mars Orbiter Mission probe will hunt for telltale signs of methane in the Martian atmosphere, possible evidence for microbial life. If all goes well and the mission succeeds in reaching Mars, India will be entering a very select club that includes the former Soviet Union, the United States and Europe.
On the eve of the expected launch, Justin Rowlatt talks to Professor Goswami to find out why India wants to send a mission to Mars when other space programmes have scaled back their spending and ambitions. In front of a live audience made up of space scientists and the general public, they discuss the motivation behind this 300 million kilometre interplanetary trip, its chances of success, and what new insights into Mars might be revealed.
Justin Rowlatt, Presenter of Exchanges at the Frontier says “It is extraordinarily exciting to be in India at a time when the country is making history in space exploration. India’s space science does things differently and they confounded the world when they discovered water molecules on the Moon – they weren’t even looking for it! We will be at the epicentre of space research at the Physical Research laboratory in Ahmedabad with the team who hope soon to be analysing data from Mars. This Exchanges at the Frontier special will explore the implications of the mission for India on the world stage with the unique global perspective of the BBC World Service. “
The event is run in partnership with the Wellcome Collection; to apply for tickets to be in the audience visit www.wellcomecollection.org/goswami.
Exchanges at the Frontier will broadcast on BBC World Service at Saturday 2nd November at 5.30pm
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.
