News Broadcasting
CNBC-TV18 brings analysis of first Post-Election
Mumbai: CNBC-TV18 in its 25th year, brings the most innovative and standout coverage of the Union Budget post-elections under its theme “Go for Growth”. The theme resonates with the hope that the budget will sustain and enhance the current growth momentum for the country, leveraging India’s relative economic strength amidst global uncertainties. Thus, with Budget 2024: Go for the Growth, CNBC-TV18 leverages its expertise in analysis and presentation with a programming lineup dedicated to providing detailed insights and perspectives leading up to the budget, decoding its implications for the audience, and featuring the biggest names in the business.
For 25 years, CNBC-TV18 has offered unmatched Budget reportage, simplified complex policies and captured the pulse of the average citizen. As India’s Budget Headquarters, it gives voice to their expectations and reflects the nation’s sentiments. The channel’s ‘CNBC-TV18 Budget Box – Share Your Budget Wishlist for the FM’ initiative furthers this by providing a platform for citizens to express their hopes for Budget 2024, with this Budget Box having travelled to multiple locations in Mumbai and Delhi across leading malls, PVR cinema halls, colleges and convenience stores such as 7/11 to engage viewers in real-time. The Budget Box was also available virtually on the CNBC-TV18 website to allow social media followers to share their wishlist for the Budget. People also had the opportunity to interact with CNBC-TV18 by using an interactive AR filter, thus enhancing their engagement. Through these efforts, they have successfully garnered over 3000 responses as part of the audiences’ budget wishlist from diverse demographics across cities. These inputs will be presented to the Finance Minister, ensuring the masses’ voices are heard.
Always driving innovation, the channel launched CNBC-TV18’s Budget Buddy, an AI-powered tool that simplifies Union Budget jargon and concepts. It allows users to ask questions and engage in conversations, making the budget’s key takeaways and impacts easy to understand.
In terms of their programming, the channel is committed to capturing the diverse recommendations from various sectors and industries to the finance ministry. Its goal is to reflect the current economic climate and identify the key issues the government needs to address with shows such as the Budget Countdown series and Budget Townhall. The comprehensive and well-rounded Budget Day reportage will feature esteemed names such as Ramesh Damani (Market Veteran); Raamdeo Agrawal (Motilal Oswal); Neelkanth Mishra; Ridham Desai (Morgan Stanley), Mahesh Nandurkar (Jefferies), Nilesh Shah (Kotak Mahindra AMC), Prashant Jain (3P Investment Managers), Samir Arora (Helios Capital), Prashant Khemka (White Oak Capital), Madhu Kela (Market Veteran), Sunil Singhania (Abakkus Asset Manager), Nilesh Shah (Envision Capital), Gautam Duggad (Motilal Oswal), Gautam Trivedi (Nepean Capital) and Dharmesh Mehta (Axis Capital) under the Budget Market Masters. It will also feature top leaders from India Inc., such as Anish Shah (Mahindra & Mahindra), Suneeta Reddy (Apollo Hospitals), Anant Goenka (CEAT), and Ashishkumar Chauhan (NSE), as well as global voices such as Christopher Woods of Jefferies and Arvind Sanger (Geosphere Capital Management) to share the FII view.
“For 25 years, CNBC-TV18 has been at the forefront of Union Budget coverage, providing IN-DEPTH analysis in real time. This year, marks the first post-election budget of the third term of the Modi Government, and we remain committed to inform, educate, and engage the masses nationwide, offering a comprehensive understanding of how the budget will impact the country’s economic landscape. Another key aspect of our budget coverage is the involvement of over 100 experts from various sectors. These experts come from different industries and bring a wealth of knowledge along with unique insights and perspectives. We meticulously curate a list of influential opinion makers, both domestic and international, to join our coverage. This approach ensures that we provide diverse and informed viewpoints on the budget. Our Budget Box initiative further amplifies public expectations, reinforcing our role as a bridge between policymakers and the public. We will also mark the budget by ringing the Budget Bell at the National Stock Exchange, in the presence of some of the most influential market makers. By breaking down policy announcements and their implications for various industries in real-time, we ensure our viewers grasp the full significance of the budget’s provisions,” stated CNBC-TV18 managing editor Shereen Bhan.
Network18 CEO, Business News Smriti Mehra adeed, “As the leading brand in business and financial news, our programming offers a 360-degree view of the budget with diverse opinions, analysis, and insights. Our goal is to decode its impact on industries and individuals, ensuring everyone understands its significance. Since the last 25 years, we’re committed to providing the information needed for informed financial decisions, with CNBC-TV18’s seamless multi-platform offerings available on TV, our website, YouTube and social platforms. We’ve also launched the CNBC-TV18 Budget Buddy, an AI-powered chatbot that helps users breakdown complex jargons related to the budget and understand it better. We would also like to thank our partners such as FICCI and CII as well as Life Insurance Corporation of India, Mahindra XUV 700 and Kalyani Ferresta, for their support and contribution towards making the CNBC-TV18 Budget programming a resounding success.”
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.
