News Broadcasting
Simba enters Tier 2 cities with 100 stores by 2014 in India
MUMBAI: SimbaToys, one of the largest toy manufacturers in the worldand slated to be the largest toy chain in India is all set to expand its reach to Tier 2 cities. Following the opening of existing stores across Mumbai,Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai the company is now ready to extend its reach to Orissa, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh over next few months.
Commenting on the expansion Shree Narayan Sabharwal, Business Head, Simba Toys India stated “In India, almost 70% of the toy market is unorganized. Simba Toys mission is to let kids play with better quality and safer toys. The idea behind SIMBA stores in India is to establish them as your neighborhood toy store. Through which good quality products come closer to mass consumer across all cities in India, as it’s difficult to have easy access to such toys in India.”
“We are planning to open 50 outlets across the country by the end of this year”, he further added. German – based toy brand, Simba Toys entered the Indian market through an exclusive franchise arrangement in 2010. Simba Toys opened its first Simba store in 2012 in Mumbai, the financial capital of India.
Eighteen stores of SIMBA are already operational in diversified locations across the country which includes Delhi-NCR, Madhya Pradesh, Bangalore Mumbai, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Chennai. The product range includes Back to School range, Steffi, Majorette, Art and Craft, Music.
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.
