News Broadcasting
ET NOW Swadesh announces ‘Gold Mahakumbh’ initiative
Mumbai: As the festive season ushers, ET NOW Swadesh, the Hindi business news channel, announces ‘Gold Mahakumbh’, an initiative empowering its viewers with unparalleled insights and expertise on investments in gold and silver. Airing 14 September from 10 am to 2 pm, the four-hour mega initiative will feature 20 industry veterans, gold market analysts, trade experts, and fund managers providing expert insights into the trends and demand for gold, investment opportunities, its role as a crucial asset class and more. They will engage in insightful discussions about the intricacies of buying gold jewellery, emerging market trends, gold prices, gold F&O trading, and gold taxation, offering comprehensive insights into every facet of the gold market.
The Gold Mahakumbh initiative is led by ET Now and ET Now Swadesh editor-in-chief Nikunj Dalmia and supported by a team of seasoned financial and business journalists including Vishwamohan Kumar, Kavita Thapliyal, Dimpy Kalra, Abhishek Satya Vratam, and Prashant Pandey.
‘Gold Mahakumbh’ initiative entails the following segments:
1. Golden Asset Class (10am – 11 am): This segment will explore the significance of gold as an asset class and cover topics such as the role of gold as a hedging or investment tool, its future as a currency, and taxation on gold investments. Expert panellists Saiyam Mehra (Chairman, All India Gem & Jewellery Domestic Council), Nitin Kedia (National General Secretary, All India Jewellers & Goldsmith Federation), Suvankar Sen (Managing Director, Senco Gold & Diamonds), Harshal Barot (Senior Consultant, Metals Focus Limited), Vikram Dhawan (Head of Commodities & Fund Manager, Nippon India Mutual Fund), and Jayprakash Gupta, founder of Dhan/Moneylicious), will share their insights on the demand for gold, price outlook, and its relevance for all types of investors.
2. Golden Trading Ki Pathshala (11am – 12 noon): Featuring industry experts, this segment will cover key aspects of gold and silver F&O trading, hedging strategies and more. From simplifying the complexities of gold and silver futures trading, and obtaining gold through commodity exchanges, panellists Shivanshu Mehta (Director, India International Bullion Exchange IFSC Ltd and Bullion Head, MCX), Anindya Banerjee, (Head, Research, Currency and Commodity, Kotak Securities), Kishore Narne (Director, Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd), Anuj Gupta (Head of Commodities Research, HDFC Securities), and Jayprakash Gupta founder of Dhan/Moneylicious), will explain how refiners, manufacturers, retailers, exporters, and importers can utilize derivatives tools to purchase gold or silver.
3. Golden Shopping (12 noon – 1pm): The ‘Golden Shopping’ segment is entirely dedicated to physical gold purchases. Industry veterans Suvankar Sen (Managing Director, Senco Gold & Diamonds), Saiyam Mehra (Chairman, All India Gem & Jewellery Domestic Council), Ashish Pethe (Partner, Waman Hari Pethe), Dr. B Govindan (Chairman, Bhima Jewellery Group) and Dr. Renisha Chainani (Head of Research, Augmont) will share insights and tips on how to start your gold purchasing journey. The seasoned panellists will also address crucial topics such as gold hallmarking, Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID), and briefly discuss taxation on gold purchases.
4. Silver Shopping (1pm – 2pm): This segment focuses on ‘silver’ and delves into the multifaceted world of silver investments, exploring the most lucrative and accessible options currently dominating the market. With insights from Rahul Mehta (managing director, Silver Emporium Pvt Ltd), Vijay Agrawal, (RV Agrawal Impex Pvt Ltd), Shivanshu Mehta (director, India International Bullion Exchange IFSC Ltd and Bullion Head, MCX), and Chintan Haria (Principal Investment Strategist, ICICI Prudential Asset Management Company Ltd), this informative session will highlight the demand and price outlook for silver, hallmarking in silver and more.
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.
