News Broadcasting
Bhuwan Bhatt joins News Nation Network as chief business officer
Mumbai: News Nation Network has announced the appointment of Bhuwan Bhatt as chief business officer for all its network channels.
In this role, Bhatt will be responsible for the performance of all revenue-generating avenues, drive growth through strategic decisions, partner with key stakeholders and steer revenue acceleration through his leadership.
“We have immense faith in the capabilities that Bhuwan brings to the table. We look forward to driving growth of the brand with each passing day under Bhuwan’s leadership,” commented News Nation Network managing director Sanjay Kulshreshtha.
Having more than two decades of experience in senior positions in the media sector with leading broadcasting conglomerates such as TV Today, Times group, Star TV, and NDTV. Bhatt has a proven track record of bringing great results in revenue optimisation by leveraging the strategic potential of existing assets.
“It gives me great pleasure to join the enthusiastic and aggressive team of News Nation Network. The brand is already well established, and I look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders to achieve long-term goals,” said Bhuwan Bhatt on his new role.
“As we embark on the next phase of growth for the network, joining of Bhuwan will give a strong boost to the revenue potential of the network. I’m confident that as a seasoned professional Bhuwan will scale new heights,” said News Nation Network director and editor-in-chief Manoj Gairola.
The network currently broadcasts a national Hindi news channel News Nation, two regional channels News State UP/UK, and News State MP/CG and has a strong digital presence. The network is all set to enter various states with its regional news offerings in a couple of months.
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.
