News Broadcasting
DDB Mudra’s campaign for UBI lets the common man dream
MUMBAI: With exciting offers, flexible interest rates and additional returns in form of freebies or points, the private banks are giving public sector banks (PSU) banks in the country a run for their money. But Union Bank of India (UBI) has launched a new campaign to let everyone know that Union Bank of India’s products and services are not only at par with private banks but also surpasses them in many ways.
The campaign conceptualised by DDB Mudra borrows stories from real life. Stories about a common man’s aspirations, dreams and the hurdles faced in order to achieve them as the bank’s baseline is “your dreams are not yours alone”.
In its last campaign, the bank brought on board the most dependable partners of renowned celebrities to bring alive the brand promise – Ajit Tendulkar, Aruna Anand, etc. Keeping with the tradition, this time it features actor Pankaj Kapoor.
DDB Mudra Group chairman and CCO Sonal Dabral said, “Union Bank of India always puts people first. It is this thinking that gave birth to the now famous platform of ‘Your dreams are not yours alone’. DDB Mudra Group has already created two very successful brand campaigns on this platform and in this third installment, the line gets a product spin. In keeping with their vision, Union Bank has come out with many innovative offerings that put the consumer at the forefront, with technology becoming an enabler making life more convenient and relationships richer. We decided that the best way to communicate this was through simple human stories that could be happening everyday in any Indian household. All seen through the eyes of the same family. The biggest triumph of this campaign is the very real tonality and its perfect casting with Pankaj Kapoor lighting up the screen as the head of this ordinary Indian family. We are very excited with this latest campaign for Union Bank of India and I’m sure people will love these films as much as we do. Like our earlier campaigns for this brand, this too is less advertising more life.”
The five-film campaign (out of which three will be out in January 2014), revolves around five members of a family, their dreams and the role played by UBI to turn them into reality.
The agency’s group creative directors Aman Mannan and Ashish Phatak said, “The simple observation in life that kick-started the entire process was to acknowledge, that unlike west, our dreams do not feed on individual aspirations but collective energy of every family member. For example, to have your own home is a dream not owned by an individual but an entire family. The entire campaign is based on this simple understanding. We wanted people to believe that Union Bank of India is part of their everyday life. And hence, all the five stories revolve around ‘shared Indian dreams’ and the role played by Union Bank’s products and services to make them come true.”
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.
