MAM
NDTV India: Bouncing back to profitability
MUMBAI: News broadcaster New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV)continues on the path to recovery. Its fourth quarter results for 2013 (up to 31 March) surprised many. The company‘s revenues are up and it appears to have got some amount of control on its bottomline which was getting battered a while ago.
Consolidated revenues at Rs 186.56 crore as compared to Rs 137.96 crore in the corresponding previous quarter are clearly looking good – a jump of 43 per cent. On a consolidated level its operating profit has shot up to Rs 42 crore for the quarter ended 31 March 2013 Rs 8.35 crore in the corresponding quarter the year before. Net profit was at Rs 27.81 crore as against a loss of Rs 41.33 crore.
The consolidated expenses were up 13.16 per cent in the last quarter to Rs 160.90 crore as compared to Rs 142.19 crore in the previous corresponding period. Its expenses were at Rs 120.71 crore in the immediate preceding quarter to 31 December 2012. Contributing to the increase in expenses was a surge in production costs (Rs 40.12 crore in Q4FY2013 vs Rs 25.43 crore in Q3 FY2013 vs 29.90 in Q4FY 2012), employee costs (Rs 41.37 crore in Q4FY2013 vs Rs 38.35 crore in Q3 FY2013 vs Rs 37.20 crore in Q4FY 2012) and marketing distribution and promotional expenses (Rs 42.63 crore in Q4FY2013 vs Rs 22.73 crore in Q3 FY2013 vs Rs 35.65 crore in Q4FY 2012).
Says NDTV Group CEO & executive director Vikram Chandra said, “The main reason for the increase in production costs and marketing costs is that we held some really big events like Support your School and Toyota University Cricket Championship. Correspondingly if you see, our revenues for the last quarter have also shot up and the events are one of the main reasons.”
On a consolidated basis the group reported revenues of Rs 526.81 crore in the year ended 31 March 2013 as against Rs 483.37 crore in the previous financial year. The NDTV group reported a net profit of Rs 1.91 crore as against a loss of Rs 87.38 crore in the previous year.
The company‘s share hit an intra-day high of Rs 77.30 before settling down to Rs 75.15 from its opening of Rs 72.60.
Brands
Kingfisher signs three-year IPL partnership
Packaged water brand signs on as ‘good times partner’ for 2026–28 cycle
MUMBAI: Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water is betting big on cricket’s biggest stage, sealing a three-year partnership with the Board of Control for Cricket in India to sharpen fan engagement at the TATA Indian Premier League.
The brand, owned by United Breweries, will serve as the official “good times partner” for the men’s IPL from 2026 to 2028, extending a relationship that began with the Women’s Premier League. The move signals a broader push to embed itself deeper into live sport, with a focus on immersive, consumer-led experiences rather than conventional sponsorship visibility.
At the heart of the tie-up is a suite of fan-first activations spanning broadcast, stadiums and digital channels. These include the “Kingfisher Bird Cam”, offering a branded spider-cam perspective during live matches, and the “Good Times Zone”, an in-stadium entertainment hub during play-offs aimed at amplifying match-day buzz. The brand will also back IPL fan parks, elevate public screening experiences and run digital contests tied to key moments through the season.
Vikram Bahl, chief marketing officer, United Breweries, said cricket in India “is more than a sport, it is a shared cultural moment”, adding that the IPL brings that energy alive at scale. “For Kingfisher Premium Packaged Drinking Water, being present at the heart of these moments, in partnership with the BCCI, is a natural extension of what we stand for. Through this association, we aim to enrich how fans experience the game… making every match more immersive, social and memorable,” Bahl said.
Devajit Saikia, honorary secretary, BCCI, said the IPL “has always been at the forefront of redefining sports entertainment and fan engagement”. He added that the collaboration would fuse cricket fandom with “innovative fan experiences that extend beyond the stadium”, helping create memorable moments for audiences nationwide.
For United Breweries, part of the HEINEKEN group, the play is clear: move from passive branding to active participation in the fan journey—on screens, in stands and across social spaces. With millions tuning in and turning up each season, the IPL remains the country’s most potent marketing theatre. The question now is whether “good times” can translate into lasting brand recall in a market where visibility is easy, but engagement is hard-won.
