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Universal’s Sanyal on Midem’s Programme selection panel
MUMBAI: Universal Music Group South Asia has announced that its managing director & CEO, – south Asia Devraj Sanyal has been named as a member of the high profile selection committee for Midem’s annual Artist Accelerator Programme.
Midem, a leading international business event for the music ecosystem hosted in Cannes, France, from June 6 – 9, recently announced 2017’s committee of distinguished experts for the programme that includes executives such as Rob Hallet, founder of Robomagic (UK), Christopher Kaskie, President of Pitchfork (USA) and Renneth Tshisikule, the founder and director of The Independent Music Exporters South Africa (IMEXSA), amongst others. The programme is designed to support managers, agents, labels and publishers as they look to grow their artists’ profiles globally.
Part of the Midem conference, the Artist Accelerator Programme affords a dynamic opportunity to promote nine upcoming international artists carefully selected by the committee. It features a range of curated networking opportunities, as well as learning and coaching sessions with key music industry leaders from around the world. The nine finalists will also have the chance to perform live at Midem and have a song featured in Midem’s audio-visual communications, as well as placement on the official Midem 2017 compilation vinyl.
Of the appointment, Sanyal said: “I’m extremely proud to be part of the committee for the 2017 Midem Artist Accelerator Programme. In India and around the world, the music industry is immensely vibrant, just phenomenally creative and innovative at present and I’m thrilled that remarkable artists from all corners can participate in this programme and get a chance to showcase their talent on a platform as prominent as Midem.”
2017 Midem Artist Accelerator Committee are:
· Christian Bernhardt, Agent, United Talent Agency (USA)
· Willy Ehmann, SVP Domestic GSA, Sony Music Entertainment (Germany);
· Rob Hallett, Founder, Robomagic (UK);
· Christopher Kaskie, President, Pitchfork (USA);
· Yoon-Young Kong (Dalse), Founder & Executive Producer, Zandari Culture Company (South Korea);
· Patrik Larsson, A&R and Label Manager, Playground Music Scandinavia (Sweden);
· Laurence Muller, Founder & Managing Director, Snoot (France);
· Devraj Sanyal, Managing Director & CEO, Universal Music Group South Asia / EMI Music South Asia / Enchanted Valley Carnival (India);
· Renneth Tshisikule, Founder & Director, The Independent Music Exporters (South Africa);
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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.
