MAM
Havas Media Mumbai reports growth of 150 per cent in 2020-21
Mumbai: Following the strategic restructuring of Havas Media Group India’s senior management a few months ago, the agency’s Mumbai office has reported a growth of 150 per cent in 2020-21, on the back of over 15 new account wins.
This includes ACC Cement, Ambuja Cement, ICICI Securities, De Beers Forevermark, Wai Wai, GITAM University, Dr Reddy’s, OZiva, and several others. In addition, the agency has seen tremendous growth on the back of marquee clients like Tata Motors and TVS Eurogrip and their increased media spends even in 2020. In total, Havas Media Mumbai has added a total billing of over Rs 500 crore in 2020-21, the agency shared.
In the last fifteen months, Havas Media bolstered its senior leadership team in Mumbai. Uday Mohan took over as president & head – North & West India, which includes the Mumbai operations. In addition, Manish Sharma was elevated as executive vice president and head of the Mumbai operations. To further strengthen the strategy teams, Sanchita Roy was named Havas Media Group India strategy head.
“Despite the market challenges, in the last 15 months we stuck to our task, defined our vision and kept investing in both our talent and product,” said Havas Group India Group CEO Rana Barua. “In 2020, Havas Media Group India has garnered a growth rate of 35 per cent (RECMA June 2020) – the highest among all media agency networks in India.”
“Our North operations have always been extremely strong, and now it’s heartening to see the same being replicated in other markets,” said Havas Media Group India CEO Mohit Joshi. “We have seen both organic growth and won some fabulous new client wins in the West in the last 15 months resulting in unprecedented growth.”
“We are firmly aligned to the network’s global philosophy of creating meaningful media and brands. Havas Media Group is growing the business on four pillars – product, people, pitches, and partnerships,” said Uday Mohan, who has led this unprecedented resurgence story of Havas Media in the West. “Built on the media experience [Mx] operating structure, each phase of the Mx process is powered by converged, an identity–based planning platform, which places the audience at the heart of the media planning process and capitalises on media that matters.”
Brands
NDTV FY26 loss widens to Rs 323 crore, revenue rises
Q4 loss at Rs 98 crore; FY revenue climbs to Rs 540 crore
MUMBAI: NDTV’s numbers tell a tale where the top line is tuning up but the bottom line is still off-key. New Delhi Television Ltd reported a wider consolidated net loss of Rs 323 crore for FY2025–26, compared to a loss of Rs 218 crore in the previous year, even as revenue showed a steady uptick. Total income for the year rose to Rs 540 crore, up from Rs 472 crore in FY25, driven by higher revenue from operations at Rs 528 crore versus Rs 465 crore a year earlier. However, rising costs across production, marketing and employee expenses weighed heavily on profitability.
For the March quarter, the company posted a net loss of Rs 98.6 crore, compared to Rs 61.9 crore in the same period last year. Quarterly revenue stood at Rs 150.5 crore, up from Rs 128.2 crore year-on-year.
Expenses continued to outpace income. Full-year consolidated expenses surged to Rs 855 crore from Rs 689 crore, led by production costs of Rs 251 crore, employee expenses of Rs 185 crore and marketing spends of Rs 243 crore.
Loss before tax for FY26 came in at Rs 320.7 crore, widening from Rs 217.1 crore in FY25, underscoring persistent margin pressure despite revenue growth.
On the balance sheet front, total assets stood at Rs 704 crore at the end of March 2026, while borrowings both current and non-current remained significant, reflecting ongoing capital and operational requirements.
Cash flow trends offered a mixed picture. While financing activities generated Rs 283.6 crore during the year, operating cash outflows remained substantial at Rs 257.9 crore, highlighting continued strain in core operations.
The performance suggests that while NDTV is managing to grow its revenue base, the cost of keeping the broadcast running and expanding continues to outweigh the gains. In a business where eyeballs are everything, profitability, for now, remains a work in progress.
