News Broadcasting
Sahara Media Group hires Alok Nair as chief commercial officer
MUMBAI: Sahara Media Group, which includes Sahara’s electronic news channel bouquet of national and regional channels, Rashtriya Sahara editions of Hindi newspapers, as well as Rashtriya Roznama editions of Urdu Newspapers are undergoing strategic and structural changes in terms of content, technology, branding and distribution. Under the process, the group has hired Shri Alok Nair as a Chief Commercial Officer. Shri Nair will contribute in evolving an effective commercial strategy for the Media network. Shri Nair comes with a strong experience in the field of Media broacasting of about two decades with Bennet & Coleman Group, Network 18 and Bloomberg TV India in the past.
On the ongoing changes, Guardian of the Sahara Media Group, Mr. Abhijit Sarkar said, “There is an evident change in media consumption habits, which needs to be understood, apprehended and calibrated to. We are confident that the current strategic changes undertaken the present team at Sahara Media Group will help in better leveraging the depth of our network along with notching up scales to current and future requirements of the viewers.”
Sahara Media Group, CEO & Editor In Chief of Mr. Arup Ghosh, said, “ Sahara Media group is one of the biggest full play media house in the country that cater to regional & national audiences through all mediums – Print, Digital & Broadcast. The group has always remained an Indian hallmark in terms of its technological investments and has one of the widest news gathering or dissemination network. With changes emerging in the entire space of news gathering, dissemination, analysis, presentation and consumption, we are on the path of reinventing ourselves and reclaiming the position, which we deserve, based on our intrinsic strengths. The last few months we have been focusing on content revamp and very soon our viewers will see an energized sharp product. Shri Alok Nair has joined the team and will work on evolving a robust sales and marketing strategy plus contribute towards creation of a robust marketing and branding strategy. We welcome Shri Alok Nair on board and are sure that his experience and skills will help us in achieving our goals.”
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.
