News Broadcasting
Hindustan Times’, Peace Dividend conference kick starts in Delhi
MUMBAI: Peace gets a chance in conflict-ridden South Asia as key political and business leaders, strategists and leading minds from India and overseas convene to discuss and map the economic, strategic and geopolitical future of the region at “The Peace Dividend: Progress for India and South Asia.”
This conference organised by the Hindustan Times Leadership Initiative is being held in New Delhi at the ITC Maurya Sheraton Hotel on 12 and 13 December.
South Asia’s peace dividend could be a single currency for the region, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee said today, noting that political disputes in other parts of the world had been “quietly deferred for tackling at a more opportune time”, and cautioning against letting outside powers exploit differences in the region.
“All these are aspects which your conference could discuss as it exchanges ideas on the economic, strategic and geopolitical future of India and South Asia, ahead of the forthcoming SAARC summit,” the Prime Minister said while inaugurating the conference.
Among the other Speakers during the two-day discussions are former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Congress President Sonia Gandhi and President of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations Richard Haass.
Welcoming the delegates, HT vice-chairperson and editorial director Shobhana Bhartia emphasised that global prosperity would be difficult to achieve unless there was peace in South Asia. “Peace is more than the absence of conflict,” she said. “It is the necessary precondition to prosperity.”
Vajpayee elaborated on the theme by saying, “As we develop greater economic stakes in each other, we can put aside mistrust and dispel unwarranted suspicions.” He pointed out that in the post-Cold War context, other parts of the world were increasingly focusing on regional economics. “Political disputes have been resolved diplomatically or quietly deferred for tackling at a more opportune time,” he said. “There is a clear recognition that hostility only stunts economies, inhibits trade and retards progress.”
The Prime Minister called upon Pakistan to jointly respond to the desire for peace and “the imperative of forging a unity based on our commonalities.” The payoffs, he felt, could be mutual security cooperation, open borders and even a single currency. “If this seems unrealistic and utopian, perhaps we are being unnecessarily cynical,” Vajpayee said, recalling dramatic (and equally unforeseen) events such as the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the Berlin wall.
Vajpayee cautioned against allowing powers from outside to take advantage of the political differences in the region. “Whenever we have dissipated our energies in internal squabbling, external forces have come in to sort out our differences and stayed on to exploit our resources. We should never create the possibility of reliving these historical experiences in new forms and on different fronts,” he said.
The “Peace Dividend” conference is a forum for key political and business leaders, strategists and leading minds from India and overseas to discuss and map the economic, strategic and geopolitical future of India and South Asia.
In addition to its aim of initiating discussions on progress in South Asia, the Peace Dividend conference also seeks to provide meaningful ideas and interaction ahead of the South Asia Association for Regional Conference Heads of State Summit scheduled for 4 – 6 January 2004.
The Hindustan Times Leadership Initiative has been established by the Hindustan Times as part of its mission to enhance the level of discussion on pressing issues, encourage interaction among leaders in various areas and present thought-platforms aimed at solutions.
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.
