News Broadcasting
CNBC TV18, HUL partner to launch business challenge for B-Schools
MUMBAI: FMCG major Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and CNBC-TV18 have joined hands to launch “Lessons in Marketing Excellence.”
The joint initiative is aimed at increasing student-industry interaction and providing the students with a platform to showcase their intellect and thought process.
Students will showcase live projects, which will be administered by HUL and CNBC-TV18.
The programme will be launched across 12 premier B-schools in India including IIM Ahmadabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Lucknow, IIM Kanpur, IIM Kolkata, IIM Indore, XLRI, Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies, SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, National Institute of Industrial Engineering, Indian School of Business, and Faculty of Management Studies.
The winners of the challenge will get an opportunity of business leadership training at Hindustan Unilever, which also includes an international stint. Additionally, the winners will get a chance to be the guest editors for CNBC-TV18’s Storyboard.
‘Lessons in Marketing Excellence’ will aim at encouraging team work among the students while also bringing into fold their perspectives. The challenge will be assigned to each B-School in the form of a case study from selected industry verticals. Teams of 2-3 students will present innovative solutions to these case studies in the form of audio-visual presentation and an executive summary.
The best two teams from each B-School selected by their own faculty members will present to a jury consisting of senior representatives from HUL, CNBC-TV18, Mint and the industry.
The best two projects will then have to be presented to a final jury panel comprising advertising and marketing specialists and academicians in the grand finale.
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.
