News Broadcasting
Indian of the year: honouring Indias iconic Ambassadors
MUMBAI: Acknowledging the achievements and contributions of the Iconic Indians who have made us proud and strengthened the foundation of our society, CNN-IBN has announced the winners of the Indian of the Year 2013. In an award ceremony held at the Taj Palace in New Delhi, the channel honoured 11 such extraordinary Indians across Politics, Sports, Entertainment, Business and Public Service categories.
Instituted in 2006, this is the eighth edition of CNN-IBN Indian of the Year awards. Over the years, these awards have become the benchmark for credibility and excellence in media awards. They have been held in high regard for precision, providing complete information about the process of nomination and selection of the winners. The selection process involves the IBN Editorial Board drawing a list of nominees, which is then authorised by a highly distinguished jury comprising personalities bestowed with the most prestigious Padma honours.
The winners across different categories are:
POLITICS: Arvind Kejriwal: For pulling off a stunning political debut and forcing two national parties to substantially alter their electoral strategies in less than 18 months.
SPORTS: PV Sindhu: For keeping the great run of Indian Badminton going and winning the singles medal at the World Championship.
BUSINESS: Rajiv Bajaj: For being the world’s most profitable auto company with 20 per cent margins, a sound export strategy and being a key differentiator in a tough year.
ENTERTAINMENT: Kapil Sharma: For creating India’s most successful stand-up comedy show that finds a universal appeal across audiences.
PUBLIC SERVICE: ADR & Lily Thomas: For piloting the PIL which led to amendment of the law that prevents convicted politicians from contesting in polls.
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT: Team ITBP & NDRF: For their sterling work in the aftermath of the Uttarakhand tragedy.
SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT: Deepika Padukone: For constantly reinventing herself as a leading lady with exceptional acting abilities and for delivering a slew of mega hits in 2013, including ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’, ‘Chennai Express’ and ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: Leander Paes: For being an ageless wonder and becoming the oldest man to win a tennis Grand Slam at the age of 40.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: Ramakant Achrekar: Fo
r being the most dynamic Indian cricket coach and nurturing exceptional young cricketing talents in Mumbai which includes the ‘God of Cricket’, Sachin Tendulkar.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT: Late Justice Jagdish Sharan Verma: For being the face of Judicial activism in India through his landmark judgements and for his lifelong contribution in the field of law and justice.
CNN-IBN INDIAN OF THE YEAR 2013: Stop Acid Attacks: For bringing together survivors of acid attacks, educating people about the abuse and pushing the government for long-term medical treatment of victims.
Rajdeep Sardesai, Editor-in-Chief, CNN-IBN, IBN7 & IBN-Lokmat, said, “Every year, along with our countrymen, we have a set of people at the forefront, who are doing their best to take our country forward. We feel privileged to acknowledge some of our fellow Indians who have made us proud with their efforts and contribution to society. I wish all the winners hearty congratulations”.
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.
