News Broadcasting
Internationals rock Asias boat at Hero Skills Challenge
NEW DELHI: The seventh edition of the Hero Women’s Indian Open witnessed the ‘Rest of the World’ team beat ‘Asia’ 3-1 in the ‘Hero Skills Challenge’ at the par-72, Delhi Golf Club course here today.
The Rest of the World team comprising Sophie Gustafson (Sweden), GwladysNocera (France), Holly Clyburn(England) and Maria Balikoeva (Russia) beat The Asian contingent of Sharmila Nicollet, Neha Tripathi, Vani Kapoor (all India) and Chung Ye Na (Korea) by a margin of 3-1. Rest of the World pocketed Rs 90,000 for their efforts while Team Asia had to settle for Rs 30,000. Each skills contest was worth a prize purse of Rs 30,000.
The USD 300,000Hero Women’s Indian Open 2013 commences with thePro-Am on Wednesday 27th November, followed by the three-day main stroke-play tournament, from 28th to 30thNovember, 2013.The event is tri-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour (LET), Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) and the Womens’ Golf Association of India (WGAI).
The ‘Hero Skills Challenge’ teed-off with the ‘Longest Drive’ competition. Rest of the World beat Asia in this format after Ladies European Tour star Sophie Gustafson let loose a 283 yard drive on the tenth fairway. Asia’s best reply in this contest came in the form of a 265-yard effort by Sharmila Nicollet.
Sharmila however pulled one back for team Asia in the ‘Closest to the Pin’ contest with her ball coming to rest 3.5 feet from the pin. The best the Rest of the World could manage in this category was a 12 feet 6 inch effortfrom Holly Clyburn of England.
In the ‘Bunker Shot’ contest however, Russia’s Maria Balikoeva helped Rest of the World nudge ahead with a superb shot that saw her ball come to rest 1 foot six inches from the pin, far better than the 3 feet 8 inch effort from Korean Chung Ye Na.
The Rest of the World drove the nail into the coffin in the ‘Putting Contest’ with Sophie Gustafson once again starring with a superb putt that fell just nine inches short of its target. In reply, the closest Asia could get, with Vani Kapoor’s effort was a 3 feet, three inches putt.
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.
