News Broadcasting
India Ahead signs strategic partnership with Delhi Management Association
Mumbai: India Ahead, a national news channel with a country-wide footprint in both broadcast and digital media, has forged a new partnership with Delhi Management Association. This agreement will help promote cooperation in educational, skill development, and research activities.
India Ahead has been envisioned as a news platform with focus on ground reports and perspectives while staying away from theatrics and punditry. The refreshing viewpoint on news dissemination is being well-liked and this is reflected in consistent growth across both TV (English news) and digital (English, Hindi, and Tamil).
The association will also establish a framework for programmes of exchange and collaboration in areas of management, business and commerce, internship, work integrated learning, dual education system, on-the-job training and skill development for mutual benefit.
Speaking on the development, India Ahead Group COO Amitabh Bhatnagar said, “In pursuit of our agenda of being Audience First we are extremely excited about this tie up with a prestigious industry association which will allow us to engage with industry stalwarts and understand their issues, agendas and aspirations. This will help create relevant content and engagement opportunities.”
DMA president and Thomas Assessments VP Yogesh Misra said that this strategic tie up was important step in re–imagining DMA’s offerings with infusion of digital–first DNA, making membership appealing and beneficial for management professionals, as well as the corporates. He further added that the DMA 2.0 vision blended with the vison of India Ahead and he saw lot of synergies in terms of effectively addressing the gaps in employee employer and various stakeholder expectations in the fast-changing business environment.
Founded in 1955, DMA is a premier and prestigious professional body, devoted to dissemination of management principles and practices. It is a non-profit and autonomous entity that focuses on providing a wide range of services aimed at enhancing managerial effectiveness in a broad sphere of activities. It has over 3200 members, including 160 leading corporates, a high-profile managing committee of distinguished professionals from industry, government, and academia, supported by an efficient full-time secretariat.
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.
