News Broadcasting
Firstpost.com launches new business portal, Firstbiz
MUMBAI: Nearly three years after the successful launch of Firstpost.com (9 May 2011), India’s first exclusively digital newsroom debuts www.firstbiz.com a stand-alone, business news and views site, today.
While Firstpost has in the past covered business, economy, investing and brands as a part of its general news coverage, this stand-alone approach comes at a time when India gears up for its giant, general election where economic and business agendas are set as much as the political. Firstpost believes that users must engage with economy and business, as deeply as with politics.
And from this emerges Firstbiz – the business offering from Firstpost.
R Jagannathan, Editor-in-chief says:
“With Firstpost, we walked right into the middle of a rising tide of public anger against poor governance and corruption. By reflecting a diverse range of public opinion that mainstream media was slow to respond to, Firstpost made a space for itself.
With Firstbiz, which is targeted not just at business and entrepreneurs, but all economic agents driven by aspiration, the need for a quick turnaround on news and views is even more vital. Digital media is best-placed to serve this growing community of participants in the India growth story with its unique take on developments. We will be there wherever you are: first on your desktop or laptop, and soon enough on your iPad, your Android smartphone, or whatever device you use to get to information.”
Durga Raghunath, CEO Firstpost adds:
“With Firstbiz, we hope to do the following:
One, rethink posting around Business. We know that Business news consumption on digital has plateaued, but there is a way to coax every reader to become a business news reader. We also believe, that CEOs can use digital media more, if content was tailored and useful.
Two, make Business inclusive. Digital media by its very nature allows us to focus on the niche. We don’t have constraints of inches or minutes, we can afford to have a very long tail. So we will cater to big business, small business and very small entrepreneurs.
Three, with this launch we are also thrilled to take Biztech, that was previously a stand-alone property into our fold. Enterprise technology is a phenomenally important space that we will build a multitude of experiences around. We will focus on great depth in this area, both online and offline. And finally, this is a beta production. We will change a lot along the way, as we did with Firstpost, based on user feedback and analytics.”
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.
