News Broadcasting
CNBC-TV18 brings Union Budget show ‘Budget Verdict’
Mumbai: CNBC-TV18 is set to host the eighth edition of the Budget Verdict on 2 February with the goal of providing viewers with a thorough understanding of the Union Budget 2023-24 and how it affects their lives.
CNBC-TV18’s Budget Verdict is a unique platform that brings together Union Budget makers, policymakers, and industry. As always, the Budget Verdict provides powerful and comprehensive budget analysis from a variety of perspectives, including the common man, large and small businesses, the government, and various other key stakeholders in India’s economy.
This year at CNBC-TV18 managing editor Shereen Bhan will be in conversation with renowned economist and chief economic advisor Dr. V. Anantha Nageswaran, the department of investment and public asset management secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey, the department for promoting industry and internal trade secretary Anurag Jain, the ministry of new and renewable energy secretary Bhupinder Singh Bhalla, NITI Aayog CEO Parameswaran Iyer, the minister of road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari, the department of revenue secretary Sanjay Malhotra, central board of direct tax chairperson Nitin Gupta and central board of indirect tax chairman Vivek Johri.
The group will also engage in Q&A sessions with a live audience of leaders from India Inc. in addition to imparting their insightful knowledge on the several facets of the budget.
CNBC-TV18’s Budget Verdict has become the most reputable event to analyse, assess, and comprehend the creation and impact of the union budget during the past seven years. A singular interaction between union budget makers and the leaders of India Inc. to provide the most incisive and thorough budget effect evaluation.
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.
