News Broadcasting
Fairfield in Bengaluru, India Hits the Road With New Food Truck
MUMBAI: India is no stranger to street food, from sizzling pakoras to steaming cups of chai, so when it came to creating a fun way to announce and promote its opening, the Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru Rajajinagar decided to keep things simple, familiar and delicious.
In mid-August, this new Bengaluru, India hotel hit the streets of Bangalore with its Fairfield Food Truck (FFT), which will continue to tour the area each day for the next several weeks.
The mobile food truck is a way to spread the word about the hotel’s arrival and also showcase the food, beverage, and catering services at its Bangalore all-day dining restaurant Kava Grill & Lounge. Visitors to the FFT are offered a taste of Kava fare through the panini, one of Kava’s signature offerings, in a setting that emulates that of the actual Bangalore, India hotel restaurant, complete with tables and chairs. Visitors also walk away with vouchers to Kava, giving them the opportunity to visit the restaurant in its permanent location at the property. The actual outlet menu also features rolls, burgers, kebabs, curries and more.
“We are very excited about the Fairfield Food Truck,” Pranay Verdia, General Manager of this Bengaluru, India hotel, says, “which is possibly the first of its kind. Through the FFT we have explored a unique platform of reaching out to customers. We have been receiving a great response and instant feedback through our interactions. We are looking forward to long and cherished client relationships through the associations that we have formed through this initiative.”
In addition to touring the city, the FFT will make dedicated stops at corporate accounts including National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, Chola MS, Nabard, Cerner, Philips, Waters, Toyota, Kennametal, Mann Hummel, Avery Dennison and Sab Miller, serving snacks to associates. The truck made a stop at the Army Polo Festival, where it hosted high tea for 500 people, and will also visit a local orphanage as part of Marriott’s Spirit to Serve initiative. To round out its visits, the FFT will stop at social events for Sunburn and the Bangalore Ladies Club.
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.
