News Broadcasting
Bond and deliver as CNBC-TV18 unveils India’s new fixed-income playbook
MUMBAI: If India’s bond market has long played the quiet background score of the financial world, CNBC-TV18 is finally turning up the volume. In a bid to make fixed income feel a little less… fixed, CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC Bajar and IndiaBonds have launched ‘Bond Street’, a high-frequency, clarity-first initiative designed to give India’s rapidly expanding bond ecosystem the spotlight it has long deserved.
With the country’s bond market now standing tall at $ 2.81 trillion (SEBI, CCIL; as of 30 September 2025), its scale rivals many major equity markets yet it remains one of the least understood segments of India’s financial landscape. ‘Bond Street’ aims to rewrite that script.
At its core, the initiative promises daily coverage across all three CNBC platforms, decoding everything from credit rating moves and issuer activity to market flows, regulatory shifts and technology-led innovation. Viewers will also get weekly analytical deep dives, bringing context, trendlines and expert perspectives to a market that is increasingly shaping India’s investment behaviour.
Framing the ambition, News18 Studio CEO S. Shivakumar said the initiative reflects a commitment to comprehensive and credible financial storytelling. “The bond market is becoming integral to India’s capital formation and investment behaviour. Bond Street will ensure audiences have timely, structured information on a segment that is now transforming how Indians save and invest.”
IndiaBonds co-founder Vishal Goenka emphasised the timing, “The bond market is evolving at a significant pace, shaped by enhanced transparency, technological advancements and rising retail participation. This collaboration will help investors recognise bonds as a fundamental part of long-term portfolio thinking.”
What makes ‘Bond Street’ stand out is not just the volume of coverage but its intent, to bring consistency, accessibility and everyday context to a market often dismissed as complex or opaque. By demystifying fixed income, the initiative seeks to bring bonds into mainstream financial conversations not as a footnote, but as a core pillar of India’s investment culture.
The partnership pairs CNBC-TV18’s legacy of trusted financial journalism with IndiaBonds’ deep domain expertise, creating a knowledge ecosystem that caters to retail investors, seasoned traders and corporate professionals alike.
As India pushes deeper into a multi-asset investment future, ‘Bond Street’ may well become the address where India’s fixed-income fluency is built, one segment, one insight, and one educated investor at a time.
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.
