News Broadcasting
CNBC-TV18 & ING Vysya Mutual Fund host CFO Brainstorm
Mumbai, August 24, 2005: CNBC-TV18, the country’s premier business channel and ING Vysya Mutual Fund, the world’s fourth largest integrated Financial Services provider jointly presented the CFO Brainstorm on ‘Treasury Management in India: Scope for Aggression’ today in Mumbai.
The discussion brought together financial experts, top influencers and luminaries, as well as renowned experts from the banking and related fields like Deepak Sogani, CFO, Patni Computers, Ajay Mahajan, CFO, YES Bank, Seshagiri Rao, Director Finance- Jindal Iron & Steel Co, B Jaju, CFO of Crompton Greaves, Kaushik Chatterjee, VP – Finance, Tata Steel , R. Venkatachalam, Director of Finance & CFO, Leela Hotels, Mike Ferrer, Regional General Manager, ING Asia Pacific who discussed whether monetary reserves of banks and other financial institutions are being put to effective use.
Indian banks and companies have between them, a considerable amount of monetary reserves accumulated owing to the rising levels of personal wealth and increased profitability of corporate entities. A surplus of investment opportunities still exists in the market for investors. This is despite the fact that new mutual fund offerings like floaters, dividend yield funds or even real estate funds are flooding the market.
The CFO Brainstorm on ‘Treasury Management in India: Scope for Aggression’ attempted to understand whether CFOs and treasury heads have been truly successful in making the most of the funds accumulated by the financial institutions. This highly interactive discussion delved into whether corporate India and the nation’s 300+ banks are doing justice to their shareholders and the Indian economy by exploring newer investment alternatives, the opportunities that this environment presents and the challenges faced by treasury managers and CFOs at these times.
Speaking at the forum, Kaushik Chatterjee, VP – Finance, Tata Steel said “In the challenging global scenario, the timing for raising funds for a company is as important a challenge for a CFO as managing the surplus funds and protecting the capital.” Seshgiri Rao, Director Finance- Jindal Iron & Steel Co added that the role of a CFO has changed from just minimizing risk to maximizing opportunities.
Summing up the entire scenario, Ajay Mahajan, CFO – YES BANK said, “The accent has been increasingly on risk management and awareness on the same has improved over the years among several company boards. In an increasingly growing economy, with global influences Indian companies need to improve their understanding about risk management in addition to being aware of the international financial markets that they would be exposed to.”
About CNBC-TV18:
CNBC-TVI8 is India’s No.1 business medium. CNBC Asia Pacific holds a strategic equity stake in the Indian registered broadcaster; Television 18. CNBC-TV18 is the undisputed leader in the business. The channel’s benchmark coverage extends from corporate news, financial markets coverage, expert perspective on investing and management to industry verticals and beyond. CNBC-TV18 has been constantly innovating with new genres of programming that helps make business more relevant to different constituencies across India. CNBC-TV18 is currently available in over 26 million households in India.
For further information contact:
Glen D’Souza/Janice Goveas/ Lorraine Correa Hanmer & Partners
98214 14845/ 98193 16878/ 98198 900935
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
