News Broadcasting
CNBC holds discussion on ‘Managing Consolidation in the Banking Industry’
MUMBAI: CNBC-TV18 and Oracle together held a discussion on the issue of ‘Managing Consolidation in the Banking Industry’ in Mumbai recently.
This first of its kind roundtable explored the challenges of consolidation in the banking industry from the business angle, the employee standpoint, the customer’s point of view, the technological angle as well as the impact of Basel II on the Banking Industry.
‘Managing Consolidation in the Banking Industry’ proved that the business realities together with the finance ministry can make consolidation inevitable. The forum also revealed that ‘Preparing for consolidation’ was the need for businesses earlier but the new environment throws in fresh challenges for banks to test the veracity of the concept of consolidation.
Eminent panelists who took part in the discussion were, Union Bank of India CMD Cherian Varghese, Oriental Bank of Commerce CMD BD Narang, Dena Bank CMD Anil Khandelwal, Yes Bank MD and CEO Rana Kapoor, ICICI Bank DMD Kalpana Morparia, Deloitte Touche Tomatsu ED Ashwin Parekh, Asia Pacific Oracle Corporation vice president financial services Alan G Payne and McKinsey director Leo Puri.
Morparia said, “Today, the top five banks constitute 43 per cent of the total banking market. Mergers are inevitable because of concentration in the segments. Mergers happen because they make business sense not because they are a good thing to do.”
Kapoor, on the other hand, said, “Small is beautiful. Small comes without legacy. We have the freedom to put robust systems in place. There is an opportunity now for the launch of private banks who need financial support. There is also opportunity for aggregation to take place, however, somebody needs to take the initiative. Also, catalytic forces need not necessarily be foreign. Enough potential exists within our country. New forces will eventually emerge.”
Commenting at the forum CNBC-TV18 vice president sales and marketing B Sai Kumar said, “Consolidation in the banking business has finally become a reality. Until recently, it was more of ‘Preparing for consolidation’ but has now become quite imminent. CNBC-TV18 aims at bringing to the fore the effect of the inevitable consolidation of banks, on people from different walks of life. Through this forum, CNBC-TV18 stands by its effort at empowering Indians to make informed decisions and improving their quality of life.”
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.
