News Broadcasting
Percept, Group M will lock horns in the final
MUMBAI: The stage was set for the clash of the titans in the semi finals between Vyas Giannetti Creative (VGC) vs. Group M and Percept vs. Adfactors at Bandra Kurla Complex ground & P.J. Hindu Gymkhana respectively.
In the match between VGC & Group M, the latter won by 47 runs. After winning the toss VGC put Group M in to bat first. It looked like a wise decision initially as VGC snapped up 3 wickets in 5 overs giving away only 34 runs. But what followed was a great performance from the Group M middle order, with Ketan Karnik and Sandeep Bhattacharya remaining unbeaten on 115 and 113 runs respectively. Their partnership of 266 runs took the total score to 300. In reply, VGC did not have the start they wanted. The opening stand between Anand Yalvigi (28 runs) & Niket Karvir (36 runs) lasted only 37 runs. Amit Siddheshwar put up a tough fight, hitting 58 runs off 32 deliveries, but could not see VGC through to victory. For his match-winning innings, Sandeep Bhattacharya was adjudged man of the match.
In the other semi final, Percept beat Adfactors comprehensively by 157 runs. Batting first, Percept scored 247 runs powered by scores of 73 and 59 from R. Mulam and S. Singh respectively. In reply, Adfactors were bowled out for a mere 90 runs, with P. Chavan top scoring with 36 runs. S. Rikame and R. Mulam of Percept ran through the Ad Factors batting line-up, with spells of 4/23 and 4/18. For his all-round performance with bat and ball, R. Mulam was adjudged man of the match.
(The CAG Shield Cricket Tournament: Presenting Sponsor- Visage Images, Radio partner- Radio One, Print Partner- Mid Day, Web partner- Exchange4Media)
Brief Scores
VGC VS.GROUP M
GROUP M WON BY 47 RUNS
GROUP M: 300 FOR 3, K. KARNIK – 115*,
S. BHATTACHARYA – 113*
VGC: 253 ALL OUT
A. SIDDHESHWAR 58 RUNS, N. KARVIR 36 RUNS
A. YALVIGI 28 RUNS,
MAN OF THE MATCH: SANDEEP BHATTACHARYA
FURTHER INFORMATION: OP THOMAS: +91-98213-48253
OR
ANAND YALVIGI of VGC :+91-9867106644
PERCEPT VS.ADFACTORS
PERCEPT WON BY 157 RUNS
PERCEPT: 247 FOR 6, R. MULAM – 73 RUNS,
S. SINGH – 59 RUNS,
ADFACTORS: 90 ALL OUT, P. CHAVAN – 36 RUNS
R. MULAM – 4/18, S. RIKAME – 4/23,
MAN OF THE MATCH: ROOPESH MULAM
Final match between Percept & GroupM will be played on 10th March 2007 at Police Gymkhana.
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.
