News Broadcasting
ABP Network’s second edition of ‘Ideas of India’ summit all set to begin
Mumbai: ABP Network, India’s multi-language news network, had made a promise in 2022 that it would bear fruit on 24-25 February, at the Grand Hyatt in Mumbai. The ABP Network’s ‘Ideas of India’ summit as promised is back, bringing together on one stage: one platform, the brightest minds cutting across sectors from within and beyond the borders of the country. In 2023, the second edition of the immensely successful ‘Ideas of India’ summit is woven around the theme of Naya India: Looking Inward, Reaching Out.
ABP Network CEO Avinash Pandey said, “The inaugural edition of ABP Network’s ‘Ideas of India, in 2022, turned out to be a huge success, not just in terms of how many people watched it, across our network, but more importantly what the forum meant as an intellectual exchange of diverse ideas. It was evident to me that this was an idea that was worth sticking with, because ABP Ideas of India event is not just a summit, it is a platform that represents and extends the pluralism that is the ethos of India. A true democracy, like India, is a grand idea built on the churning of a million smaller ones, pulling and pushing together as a single unit. I am happy to announce that with ABP Network’s ‘Ideas of India Summit 2023’, this is officially now an annual platform of that churning of ideas that will contribute to the defining of tomorrow’s India. The 2023 summit is all about the making of a Naya India as we look inward while reaching out to the world.”
The two day event, in Mumbai, this year will primarily address the question – Where does India stand at this moment in history, with its burgeoning economy successfully tackling the energy divisions of yet another war in Europe, with a post pandemic recalibrating world looking up to her as a global leader and a whole new generation of Indians impatient to lead across sectors? The speaker list of thought leaders, business icons, cultural ambassadors, and politicians addressing this vital question is long and varied. It extends from Liz Truss, the former prime minister of UK to Indian chief ministers like Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann and Eknath Shinde; From novelist Amitav Ghosh to tech and business N.R Narayana Murthy; from academician and author Mahmood Mamdani to the union minister of road transport Nitin Gadkari or the Central Minister in-charge of ensuring connectivity, be it Railways or IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw. The world of arts and cinema will have Zeenat Aman and Asha Parekh as well as Ayushmann Khurrana. Ideas of guts and grit of a fighting women will be shared by Vinesh Phogat, Ashwini Nachappa, Jwala Gutta, Joshna Chinappa while education path breakers like ‘Khan Sir’ and ‘NV Sir’ will talk about a young India gaining useful knowledge. International film directors Mira Nair and Shekhar Kapur will be there as well as actor Manoj Bajpayee; Devdutt Pattanaik will bring alive the myths of the past as someone like Lucky Ali makes the connection between music and words. From celebrity chef Vikas Khanna sharing ingredients of his cooking mantra to young political heavy weights Poonam Mahajan, K Kavitha, Priyanka Chaturvedi and Raghav Chadha expounding on their individual political party’s recipe for the elections ahead, the summit is all set to deliberate the paths to a vibrant destiny for a new India.
ABP Ideas of India 2023, with 40 odd sessions and more than 60 speakers, is designed to be an intense and thought-provoking experience that celebrates the strengths that make Naya India the nation that it is as the country reaches out to take its rightful place in the world of tomorrow. ABP Ideas of India Summit 2023 will be available for viewing, on both days of 24 and 25 February, across all the different digital and broadcast platforms of the entire ABP Network.
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.
