News Broadcasting
First-ever on-ground ABP LIVE Auto Awards recognises automotive excellence
Mumbai: ABP LIVE, India’s leading digital news platform, concluded its inaugural on-ground award ceremony, the ABP LIVE Auto Awards 2023, which was held in Gurgaon on 15 March. The event marked a historic transition from virtual recognition to a grand physical celebration of automotive brilliance. The prestigious awards honoured the best cars and bikes launched in India during 2023.
Hyundai Verna was crowned the Car of the Year, while Triumph Speed 400 took home the Bike of the Year award.
A jury of industry experts, including Achintya Mehrotra, auto expert and rally driver; Somnath Chatterjee, automobile journalist and consulting editor-auto at ABP Network; and Jatin Chhibber, automobile journalist, anchor/producer at Auto LIVE, meticulously evaluated contenders across 28 categories, including design, performance, safety, and sustainability. Rigorous testing was carried out at the ICAT Convention Centre (International Centre for Automotive Technology) and winners were chosen from both four-wheeler and two-wheeler segments, reflecting the breadth of automotive innovation in India.
The ABP LIVE Auto Awards 2023 highlighted the evolving Indian auto industry, where safety, sustainability, and technology are increasingly important to buyers. The growing popularity of Electric Vehicles (EVs) was also evident with awards for the best EV and Luxury EV given during the ceremony.
As the automotive landscape evolves with groundbreaking advancements, the ABP LIVE Auto Awards 2024 stand as a testament to the industry’s resilience and innovation. By recognising achievements that redefine standards in performance, sustainability, and design, ABP LIVE remains at the forefront of celebrating automotive excellence.
Here’s the distinguished list of winners:
Car categories:
- Car of the Year – Hyundai Verna
- Value for money car of the Year – MG Comet
- Sedan of the Year – Hyundai Verna
- Off-roader of the Year – Maruti Suzuki Jimny
- MPV of the Year – Toyota Innova Hycross
- Subcompact SUV of the Year – Hyundai Exter
- Premium SUV of the Year – BMW X1
- Luxury SUV of the Year – Range Rover Velar
- Luxury Off-Roader of the Year- Lexus LX
- Luxury Car of the Year- BMW 7 Series
- Luxury EV of the Year- Mercedes-Benz EQE
- EV of the Year – Hyundai Ioniq 5
- Performance SUV of the Year – Lamborghini Urus Performante
- Supercar of the Year – Aston Martin DB12
- Variant of the Year – Mahindra Thar 4×2
- Facelift of the Year – Tata Nexon
- Performance Car of the Year- Mercedes-AMG C43
- SUV of the Year – Honda Elevate
- Design of the Year – Maruti Suzuki Fronx
- Fun to Drive Car of the Year- Maruti Suzuki Jimny
Bike categories:
- Bike of the Year- Triumph Speed 400
- Design of the Year- TVS Apache RTR 310
- Value for Money Bike of the Year – Honda Shine 100
- Off-Roader of the Year- Royal Enfield Himalayan
- Premium Bike of the Year- Triumph Street Triple 765 RS
- Green Two-Wheeler of the Year- Bajaj Chetak
- Performance Green Two-wheeler of the Year- Ultraviolette F77
- Scooter of the Year- Hero Xoom
News Broadcasting
Network18 posts Rs 1,955 crore revenue, narrows FY26 losses
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.
