News Broadcasting
Unveiling of the Unreal Academy
New Delhi, 25th July, 2013: The Unreal Academy, an institution that inculcates the power of imagination in children, youngsters and senior citizens through numerous creative and innovative ways, was formally inaugurated on Wednesday, 24th July. A completely novel concept in itself, this Academy believes that Imagination is the key to innovation. Their vision is to create a space where creativity is nurtured and allowed to breed into a lifelong quality.
The event witnessed several speakers who share the conviction and the idea the Academy is based on as well as parents and children eager to delve into this world of creativity and progress.
Guneet Pandya, Founder Director – The Unreal Academy shared her philosophy for the Academy. She said, “Years ago I committed the mistake of stumbling upon the word ‘Imagination’. But as all mistakes lead to something new, my mistake gave birth to The Unreal Academy: An institution that gives birth to imagination every second. The Unreal Academy inculcates the power of imagination in children, youngsters and senior children through various creative and innovative BURPS (Brilliant Unreal Rare Programmes). Through its various courses, the Academy endeavours to bring out the imaginative potential of the mind.”
Viral Pandya, Director and CCO of The Unreal Academy, then held an informal interactive session with the media on the importance of creativity, imagination and the role the Academy aspires to play in bringing out one’s imagination. Viral has decades of experience in advertising and a host of awards to his name from global platforms like One Show Design, Gold at Cannes Lions, The New York Festivals, Graphis Advertising, etc .
Reena Mishra, the first guest speaker for the evening, elaborated on the importance of the philosophy that forms the cornerstone of the Academy by sharing her own experiences as a mother. She explained why she shared the enthusiasm of the Academy and how the importance of such an institution is palpable to anyone who has tried raising a child in this ever-changing world. Reena Mishra has had a decade-long stint in Media & Public Relations after which she joined Tasveer as Director of Operations to support & further the dreams of her husband as an Advertising Photographer.
Sabu Paul, Creative Director at Out of the Box, elucidated the inspiration behind the Academy and why he feels innovation is core to any progress that mankind has made and will continue to make in the future. He has close to 17 years of experience in advertising at agencies such as Mudra, Contract, Ogilvy One and TBWA. He is ranked as the no.1 copywriter in India, along with Viral Pandya.
After the speeches, Guneet Pandya held another interactive session on the courses available at The Unreal Academy. She explained that the specially constructed courses at the Academy are borne by deep and innovative research and development. Each course is directed towards instilling a process that delves into the imaginative mind and brings forth creativity. Courses are designed in keeping with the four target age groups of the Academy.
This one-of-a-kind Academy seeks to question, motivate, inspire and set their students thinking in a direction that is beyond the obvious or the conventional.
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.
