News Broadcasting
CNBC-TV18, CNN-News18 to launch ‘Global Dialogues: The COVID-19 Impact & Beyond’
MUMBAI: CNBC-TV18 and CNN-News18 has joined forces to launch a marquee series, ‘Global Dialogues: The Covid-19 Impact & Beyond’. The series will feature eminent industry leaders across sectors in conversation with Shereen Bhan on CNBC-TV18 and Zakka Jacob on CNN-News18.
The aim is to bring to fore fresh thinking, insightful research and enriching conversations, they will shed light on the disruptions, solutions and India’s role & relevance in the post Covid2019 World.
The series will be broadcasted weekly on both the channels and will delve into different themes capturing insightful conversations on the various avenues and possibilities of the post Covid2019 world. Each episode will revolve around the following themes:
1. Healthcare – Taking primacy at every level, the healthcare sector will demand a seismic shift for budget allocation and policymaking for each government. The episode will lay a strong focus on collaborations to produce drugs & vaccine along with a growing emphasis on building a robust public health system with adequate infrastructure and R&D
2. Pharma & Life Sciences post COVID-19 – As health institutions across the world come together to combat the pandemic, the episode will track the vaccine development taking place worldwide
3. Exponential acceleration of Technology – As social distancing becomes the norm of the day; technology will be the biggest aid in ensuring a seamless functioning of society. The episode will focus on how technology and digital transformation will continue to drive change across different sectors that include education, healthcare, media and entertainment industry et al.
4. Geopolitics and Reshaping of the Global order – Recouping from the dire consequences will China continue to be a favoured destination for businesses, or will India be in the reckoning for investments
5. How India needs to reimagine itself post-Covid2019 — The series will kickstart with a conversation between Zakka Jacob and Dr Devi Shetty, Dr Naresh Trehan & Dr Sangita Reddy on CNN-News18. The series will offer the audience a chance to perceive and understand the evolving scenario and the dynamic of the industries through an expert-led lens.
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
