News Broadcasting
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar speaks exclusively to Bloomberg TV India
MUMBAI: In an exclusive interview with Bloomberg TV India, the country’s leading English business news channel, Manohar Parrikar- Defence Minister, spoke for the first time after taking over as India’s defence minister. In his exclusive interview Parrikar discussed an extensive range of issues with Siddharth Zarabi – Executive Editor, Bloomberg TV India.
During the interview Parrikar emphasised on cleaning up the tainted defence procurement process and also pointed out that decision taken by UPA government of blacklisting of numerous foreign firms was the wrong approach and would be reviewed immediately by the current government. In conversation with the channel, Mr. Parrikar highlighted that corruption in India’s defence systems is nothing less an anti-national activity and he spoke about blacklisting defence contractors on immediate basis.
Commenting on blacklisting defence contractors Parrikar said, “I think there needs to be some decision on the issue of blacklisting. We need various platforms such as aerial- helicopters, planes, and there are probably few manufacturers to do that. So some sort of exercise has been carried out by my predecessor Jaitley and I intend to take it forward so that we can protect ourselves. The number of suppliers in some of the items probably is very few and we just cannot paint everyone in black. There have to be proper guidelines for blacklisting; otherwise we will run out of defence contractors/suppliers.”
Commenting on corruption in defence Parrikar said, “I consider corruption in defence as an anti-national activity. Therefore there will be transparency and every decision will be in the interest of the country. And I will tell you one thing, there may be corruption, in general, in defence procurement, but to stay with a clean image for 20 years in a small state like Goa itself is a stupendous task which I have managed to achieve. I think that is because I have the concept of transparency and how to ensure a transparent but quick decision.”
To watch the exclusive interview, log on to
http://www.btvin.com/videos/watch/9631/to-take-forward-jaitley%27s-steps-on-blacklisted-firms:-manohar-parrikar
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.
