News Broadcasting
Dishnet planning VoIP service
The Sivasankaran-promoted Dishnet DSL, a Chennai-based Category A Internet service provider (ISP) plans to come out with voice over Internet Protocol service very soon and is also looking at offering value-added services to its customers, according to an executive of the company.
“We are planning the VoIP soon and will also supply the phone sets through which customers will be able to use the facility,” B Rajan of Dishnet DSL said.
Pointing out that the company will not restrict itself to the core services, Rajan said value-added services will be an added incentive. The services which the company is looking at offering include video streaming, video conferencing, gaming and e-commerce.
“We are also closely looking at e-learning which is a buzz word these days,” Rajan added.
Dwelling on the company’s expansion plans, especially in North India, Rajan said that a hub would come up soon in Noida on the outskirts of New Delhi. “But we are open to partnerships for co-location,” he said, hinting that in those places where the company does not have a hub or a gateway it is open to forging alliances.
Dishnet DSL, incorporated in 1998, currently has operations in 37 cities in India with eight licenced international gateways and over 125 Dishnet DSL hubs.
Pointing out the advantages that a Dishnet customer has compared to the one who has a Net connection through cable, Rjana said that while DishnetDSL connections are always on, dedicated and secured lines, a csusbcriber of Net-over-cable may not get the consistency due to cable deficiencies and will not have a complete secure line.
Some of DishnetDSL’s clients include Coznizant technology Solutions, HCL technologies, Arthur Andersen, Raj TV and Vijay TV.
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.
