News Broadcasting
ET Now & ET Now Swadesh bring the budget blitz—Facts, figures & fireworks!
MUMBAI: The Union Budget 2025 is around the corner, and India’s economic future is about to get a big reality check. As the nation tunes in for the finance minister’s grand reveal, ET Now and ET Now Swadesh are rolling out an electrifying lineup of in-depth analyses, expert insights, and high-powered discussions under the theme ‘Budget for Viksit Bharat.’
From decoding fiscal policies to tracking market movements and corporate strategies, ET Now and ET Now Swadesh promise a 360-degree budget deep dive, with cutting-edge AR graphics, real-time data insights, and expert takeaways that will leave no stone unturned. Helmed by editor-in-chief Nikunj Dalmia, the editorial teams will bring clarity to the complexities of the Budget—so you can decide if it’s time to pop the champagne or tighten the belt.
Starting with live coverage of the budget speech on 1 February, ET Now will deliver expert-backed insights on what’s in it for businesses, investors, and the ‘aam aadmi’.
1 The economist’s verdict: Veteran economist Swaminathan Aiyar will dissect the Budget’s vision with sharp, data-driven insights into India’s fiscal trajectory.
2 Market masterclass: Experts Kunal Bothra, Nooresh Merani, and Anshul Saigal will craft winning stock market strategies to navigate post-Budget market swings.
3 Multibagger mania: Want to spot the next big wealth creator? Nilesh Shah, Sandeep Tandon, Porinju Veliyath, Hiren Ved, Raamdeo Agrawal, Samir Arora, Sunil Singhania, Vijay Kedia, Saurabh Mukherjea, and Sandip Sabharwal break down the hottest investment picks.
4 Macro moves: Economic heavyweights R Gopalan, Ashok Tyagi, Yashish Dahiya, Rajnish Kumar, and Rohinton Sidwa will provide insights into India’s economic roadmap.
5 Corporate insights: Top business leaders including Sanjiv Puri, Rajiv Memani, R Mukundan, Harsha Vardhan Agarwal, Anant Goenka, Keki Mistry, and Sanjeev Bikhchandani will share industry expectations and reactions.
6 FII watch: Global investors Timothy Moe (Goldman Sachs) and Gautam Chhaochharia (UBS India) will weigh in on India’s attractiveness on the global stage.
The budget in Hindi, simplified and supercharged:
1 ‘Viksit Bharat Ka Budget’ (7 am- 4 pm): Live budget coverage, dynamic market programming, and exclusive insights from Radhika Gupta, Atul Chaturvedi, Yashish Dahiya, Pankaj Tibrewal, Abhay Soi, A. Balasubramanian, Niranjan Hiranandani, and Mihir Vora.
2 ‘Budget Darbaar’ (4 pm): A no-nonsense breakdown of personal finance, tax implications, and investment takeaways from Feroze Azeeze, Anthony Heredia, Alok Agarwal, and Nilesh Shah.
3 ‘Budget & Markets’ (5 pm): Market mavens Gurmeet Chadha and Amit Jeswani decode how the Budget will move the markets.
4 ‘Gaon-Kisaan Ka Budget’ (7 pm): Rural India takes center stage as experts Siraj Hussain, G. Chandrashekhar, G.K. Sood, Gunwant Patil, and B.V. Mehta analyse the budget’s impact on agriculture, farmers, and rural businesses.
To make budget-watching even more rewarding, ET Now and ET Now Swadesh will run contests from 8 am to 4 pm, where lucky viewers can win vouchers for premium smartphones—because who says finance can’t be fun?
With ET Now and ET Now Swadesh bringing the biggest names in economics, business, and markets together, this budget season promises insights, action, and a whole lot of drama. Will this be the budget that fuels India’s march toward prosperity, or will it leave businesses and investors wanting more? Tune in on 1 February, and let’s find out!
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.
