News Broadcasting
India’s top tourism leaders awarded at TV9 Network Iconic 2023 Summit
Mumbai: The global travel and tourism industry is finally witnessing a rebound as it emerges from a two-year slump caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. At a time when the industry is exploring new possibilities to improve the traveller experience, TV9 Network and Red Hat Communications have collaborated to laud the efforts of the changemakers and draw the roadmap for leveraging India’s vast tourism potential.
In a day-long event held in the national capital, the tourism industry leaders came under one roof to discuss the future of the industry from the lens of sustainable development. The day started with the TV9 Network Travel and Tourism Summit, which was divided into several segments to cover all the relevant issues. The themes focused on identifying the challenges and opportunities in the travel and tourism sector.
Welcoming the gathering of stalwarts of the industry, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) president Jyoti Mayal said, “The travel industry has witnessed a major transformation over the past two years, especially during the pandemic which has been a huge learning experience for the industry at large. The pace of this transformation has been rapid more than ever. In the past few years, a few ancillary industries have emerged to contribute to the travel industry’s evolution, skill development and growth. The summit aimed to explore new developments and understand their positive impact on the sector.”
TV9 Network chief growth officer Raktim Das said, “The travel industry, which was disrupted by the COVID pandemic, is finally on the rebound. The travel industry has massive potential and is bound to grow at an unprecedented pace in the upcoming years. The summit was an effort to appreciate the industry leaders’ commendable progress and explore the upcoming trends for leveraging the India tourism story.”
The summit commenced with inaugural addresses from the two guests of honour, Govt of Sri Lanka’s Minister of Tourism and Lands – Harin Fernando, and Union Minister of State for Tourism & Defence – Ajay Bhatt,. This was followed by panel discussion sessions on – ‘Tourism in Mission Mode’, ‘Techourism: Feasible or Fashionable?’ and ‘G20 Gains for Incredible India’!
The evening witnessed the felicitation of top performers judged by a robust jury. The fifth edition of the Iconic Awards featured the best and the brightest in the travel and tourism industry.
Gracing the stage before the award function, Union Ministry of Tourism, secretary Arvind Singh noted that the travel industry is expected to grow multi-fold in the coming years. “Events like these can bring focus on the strategies and ways to improve the average spends of people coming to India and promote wedding and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism in the country, which augur well for the future growth of the travel industry.”
Govt of Sri Lanka’s Minister of Tourism and Lands – Harin Fernando discussed initiatives taken by the Sri Lankan Government to improve tourism in the island country. He added, “Sri Lanka is a country that has a combination of exciting places for tourists to see along with participation in local cultural activities which have been attracting millennials and Gen Z from across the globe who desire to visit an ‘undiscovered’ destination.”
The day ended with the Iconic Awards presented by the industry leaders to the winners. Veteran Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuria and popular Bollywood singer and composer Anu Malik among the celebrities who joined the Award function.
Award Winners:
Customer delight international airlines- Emirates Airlines
Customer delight domestic airlines- Indigo
Luxury Indian hotels- Taj Hotels
Business Hotel India- Hyatt Regency Delhi
Emerging Sustainable Airline Domestic- Akasa Air
Technology award- ITQ Travel port
Travel platform B2B – Nexus DMC
Most trusted travel Insurance Provider – ASEGO
Missions and Visa facilitation- VFS
Effective Tourism Representation- Think Strawberry
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.
