News Broadcasting
Business Today is set to host its banking & economy summit 2023 on 13 January
Mumbai: The Business Today Banking & Economy Summit 2023 returns with an exceptional line-up of policymakers and regulators, top executives from banking and financial services, fintech start-ups, tech corporations, aggregators, card companies, and other key stakeholders. The summit, which will be hosted on 13 January at the St. Regis Hotel (Imperial Hall) in Mumbai, will discuss significant trends and concerns relating to the evolving business and operating environment in the banking and financial services sector.
The agenda for Business Today Banking & Economy Summit 2023 has been meticulously set against the backdrop of the global economy facing extraordinary challenges, such as tremendous unpredictability in demand; an economic slowdown; supply chain disruption; rising inflation; and interest rate hikes. This annual intellectual summit will feature panel discussions and fireside conversations where eminent speakers discuss how, despite these obstacles, the Indian economy is in better form than most other emerging economies and the global economy, but is yet not immune to the global crises’ repercussions.
The minister of road transport & highways Nitin Gadkari will speak on ‘Investing in Infrastructure to Drive Economic Growth,’ while the minister of state, ministry of finance Dr. Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, will dwell on the topic ‘Serving the nation – Reinforcing the Backbone of India’s Economy.’
Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das will address delegates on ‘The Economy & Banking: Riding the Storm.’
Speaking on the topic ‘Banking on a High: The Big Turnaround & Challenges Ahead’ will be Axis Bank MD & CEO Amitabh Chaudhry. Top bankers and executives who will participate in a much-sought-after discussion on the ‘Banking on the Economy’ include, SBI group chief economic advisor Soumya Kanti Ghosh; Crisil chief economist D.K. Joshi; Bank of Baroda chief economist Madan Sabnavis; and QuantEco founder Shubhada Rao.
The discussion on ‘Banking in the Digital Age’ will have former SBI chairman and BharatPe chairman Rajnish Kumar; RBL Bank MD & CEO R. Subramaniakumar; and South Indian Bank MD & CEO Murali Ramakrishnan in attendance.
Discussing ‘Banking & Fintech: A New Partnership,’ the rise of fintech, market-based financial intermediation, innovative financial goods, and services will be CSB Bank MD & CEO Pralay Mondal; TamilNad Mercantile Bank MD & CEO S Krishnan; IIFL Finance chairman and former SBI chairman A.K. Purwar; Federal Bank independent director and former NPCI MD & CEO A.P. Hota; PayU CEO Anirban Mukherjee; and KPMG India partner, head – financial services advisory Sanjay Doshi.
The NBFC angle will be deliberated by Mahindra Finance vice-chairman & MD Ramesh Iyer; Shriram Transport Finance Company CEO & MD Umesh Revankar; and Godrej Capital MD & CEO Manish Shah.
Green is the flavour of the season, and a panel will deliberate on ‘Sustainable Finance in the Green Economy.’ The participants are Aavishkaar Capital founder and managing partner Vineet Rai; Standard Chartered Bank managing director, corporate, commercial and institutional banking, India Ankur Khurana; and MRN Group MD Vijay Nirani.
A discussion on the relevance and outlook for small finance banks and payments banks will be taken on by Fincare Small Finance Bank MD & CEO Rajeev Yadav; Airtel Payments Bank MD & CEO Anubrata Biswas; Fino Payments Bank MD & CEO Rishi Gupta; and AU Small Finance Bank MD & CEO Sanjay Agarwal.
National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development chairman K.V. Kamath will discuss the ‘Future of Banking in an Uncertain World.’ Salesforce chairperson and chief executive officer Arundhati Bhattacharya will speak on the topic ‘A Lifetime in Banking – Arundhati’s Story.’
The opinions of JP Morgan senior country officer – India & vice chairman, Asia Pacific Kaustubh Kulkarni; HSBC India CEO Hitendra Dave; Citibank India CEO Ashu Khullar; Bank of Baroda MD & CEO Sanjiv Chadha; IDFC First Bank MD & CEO V. Vaidyanathan and Accenture senior managing director, and India business lead Piyush N. Singh will be presented through a discussion on ‘Banking on the Competitive Edge.’
The Business Today-KPMG Best Banks & Fintech Awards presentation ceremony will wrap up the summit’s conclusion. The Business Today Best Banks Awards are the most sought after in the industry because they combine quantitative ranking utilising the most comprehensive set of parameters with qualitative ranking based on bank inputs examined by a super-eminent jury panel. The jury panel was led by K.V. Kamath.
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.
