News Broadcasting
Financial experts decode Budget 2020 at CNBC-TV18’s Townhall
MUMBAI: English business news channel — CNBC-TV18 of Network18 group held The Budget Townhall 2020 to analyse and have an open dialogue on the announcements made by the union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The fourth edition of the townhall witnessed economic and financial stakeholders come together in New Delhi to offer their expert perspective and decode the biggest economic policy event in the country.
The townhall panel moderated CNBC-TV18’s managing editor Shereen Bhan, comprised of policy architects and financial stakeholders such as NITI Aayog chief executive officer Amitabh Kant, revenue secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey, CBIC member tax policy Dr John Joseph, CBDT chairman Pramod Chandra Mody, expenditure secretary TV Somanathan, chief economic advisor Dr. Krishnamurthy Subramanian, DPIIT chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra, DIPAM secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey, finance secretary Rajeev Kumar among others. The closing address at the townhall was given by IDFC FIRST Bank managing director and chief executive officer V Vaidyanathan.
The luminaries, together on a common platform, shared their in-depth analysis while evaluating the big-ticket announcements made across sectors.
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.
