News Broadcasting
ME Tablet sponsors Vande Mataram
NEW DELHI : HCL Infosystems Ltd. India’s premier services and ICT systems integration, distribution and Hardware Company has partnered with Aaj Tak, to sponsor Vande Mataram contest. Vande Mataram is a show which instils patriotism, brings to life the untold stories behind many wars that India fought and to honour the lives of the soldiers who fought for our motherland. Aired from 14th September onwards to 30th November at 10PM, Vande Mataram will pay tribute to the martyrs and unsung war heroes who had put their lives at stake for the nation. In addition, every episode gives an opportunity to five lucky viewers who stand to win HCL ME Tablets. A viewer needs to answer a simple question asked by the anchor and SMS their response (VM A,B,or C) to 52424
On the sponsorship agreement, Gautam Advani, Global Head, Mobility Business Unit, HCL Infosystems said, “This is a great initiative by Aaj Tak team and partnering with Vande Mataram is a moment of pride. ME Tablet has always stood by and commended such initiatives. Our brand is all about change and being an enabler. We believe that through such associations we would be able to strengthen the social fabric of the country. ME Tablets has joined hands with Aaj Tak for this great initiative and hopes that it will bring about a change in the way the whole country looks at the sacrifices made by our Defence Forces.”
Vande Matram is a weekly show which will be aired on every Saturday at 10PM. Anchored by noted actor Kabir Bedi along with voice over narration by actor Raza Murad, it promises to take the viewers to the depth of India’s war stories and will get the audience to experience the patriotism, battles and victories by taking them to a different era.
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.
