News Broadcasting
CNBC’s fourth Mutual Fund awards on 9 February
MUMBAI: In its fourth year now, India’s Mutual Fund Excellence Awards will be held on 9 February in Mumbai. The announcement was made today by CNBC-TV18 and BNP Paribas along with Moody’s Investors Service.
The Awards will use the world-renowned ranking system of Moody’s Investors Service to evaluate the Mutual Fund Schemes existing in India today. SEBI chairman G N Bajpai will be the guest of honour. Also, a special address from Indian finance minister Jaswant Singh, will also be aired for those present.
The Mutual Fund of The Year Awards (MFA), were launched by CNBC-TV18 and BNP Paribas in February 2001. A host of awards, including the Fund House of the Year Awards, will seek to honour the outstanding funds, fund houses and fund managers.
Apart from the leaders of the various fund houses, luminaries from the rest of the financial services sector including senior regulators, leading economists, and analysts will also be present at the Awards.
Commenting on the occasion, CNBC-TV18’s CEO Haresh Chawla said, “The Mutual Fund of the Year Awards have become the most respected honours of their kind. This is the first time we are seeing such a secular boom in the economy and as Indian investors turn slowly, but surely, towards professional money managers to manage their wealth, it definitely augurs well for Mutual Funds. Coming at this critical juncture, the Awards ceremony will seek to honour the best performers of last year and serve as a guide to the best managed funds for millions of investors.”
Also present at the awards will be Guinness World Record holder and co-founder of the Quantum Fund and legendary investor Jim Rogers. Dubbed “the Indiana Jones of finance” by Time Magazine, Rogers travels the world, gaining unrivalled knowledge of markets across the globe, and writing New York Times bestsellers such as “Investment Biker” and “Adventure Capitalist.” At the ceremony, Rogers will share with the audience insights on, and learnings from, the Indian and global financial markets.
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.
