News Broadcasting
India Ahead consolidates youth connect starting with poll-bound Uttar Pradesh
Mumbai: Further cementing its position as the preferred news platform among young viewers, India Ahead has launched one of the biggest youth-focused programme – “Voice of Youth.” Presented by Avita, “Voice of Youth” will be aired every Sunday at 6 p.m only on India Ahead and popular bite-sized short videos will be used to increase engagement across social media platforms.
Keeping in mind the sizeable first-time voters and huge young demography, “Voice of Youth” in its first phase is traveling to five prominent universities in Uttar Pradesh for insightful discussions with young thought leaders.
“GenZ and Millennials are armed with self-belief and confidence. ‘Voice of Youth’ on India Ahead is a platform where the youth can express their opinion freely on a wide range of topics,” said India Ahead News Group COO Amitabh Bhatnagar.
“India Ahead has been consistently highlighting issues of Young Indians with our mega-coverage of NEET controversy and subsequent reports on state board and other competitive entrance exams. Voice of Youth on India Ahead is the next step towards increasing our engagement with our young viewers.,” stated editor-in-chief Bhupendra Chaubey. “While everyone claims to be talking on behalf of youth, we want to focus on knowing the real issues, aspirations, fears and challenges of the youth beyond what is projected in popular media.”
Nexstgo Company Ltd regional business director for South Asia and MEA Seema Bhatnagar also talked about their association with the activity. “This thoughtful initiative by India Ahead will help Avita to connect with the country’s youth-centric population at a more personal level. At AVITA, we believe in the power of young minds and through this campaign, we aim to help the leaders of tomorrow to hold insightful discussions in the society,” Bhatnagar said.
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.
