News Broadcasting
CNBC organising ‘Managing India Brainstorm’ 9 October
Business channel CNBC India is keenly pushing its ‘Managing India’ brand forward. ‘Managing India’ is a half-hour program that showcases company leaders and people whose hands are on the pulse of corporate India.
It was in July in Mumbai that it conducted the first of its events under the brand which brought CEO’s of companies and corporate bigwigs together to thrash out issues affecting the corporate and business world.
Now the next event oin the series will be held in Delhi on 9 October and will be sponsored by technology majors Sun Microsystems and Azim Premji’s Wipro.
According to Sunil Nair, marketing manager CNBC India, since the event is in Delhi it will have a political flavour with discussions centering on the state of the economy. Politicians from different parties as well as crucial decision-makers from major companies will be present. They will all get a chance to present their viewpoint. The focal point of the meet is to discuss the state of affairs of India Inc. and offer suggestions as to how the economy and industry can move forward at a time of recession and global uncertainty. The business leaders will also offer their advice as to what shape government policies should take.
The Delhi event will be shown on the channel on 19 October with hour-long repeats on the 20th and 21st.
Reponding to reports that CNBC India is looking to tie up with regional news channels, Nair said that they were looking at states like Gujarat which are business oriented but that nothing concrete had come through as yet.
As far as content is concerned the channel is focussing on the evening band called ‘Executive Suite’. It features incisive business analyses, data on the stock markets from here as well as America, discussions with corporate executives on the days events as well as how well their companies are performing. There is also a program called ‘Digital Evolution’ which analyses how companies are using the latest technology to expand their business and gain competitive edge.
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.
