News Broadcasting
Kumaramangalam Birla in conversation with Shereen Bhan on ‘Power Turks III’ only on CNBC-TV18
Friday, August 11, 2006 at 7 pm
Repeat telecast on Sunday, August 13, at 1 pm and 9.30 pm
Power Turks III is a free-flowing show where established professionals of India Inc meet for a t?te-?-t?te with Shereen Bhan. The first episode of Power Turks in its third season takes a look at the life of Kumaramangalam Birla, among the richest person in India and the eighth youngest billionaire outside India according to the Fortune magazine.
Kumaramangalam Birla , son of Aditya Birla, was just 28 years-old when his father died. A holder of an MBA from London Business School, Kumaramangalam was compelled to be the chairman of the $4.5 billion group.
Kumaramangalam Birla now heads the Aditya Birla Group, the world number one in viscose staple fibre; the world’s largest single-location palm oil producer and Asia’s largest integrated aluminium producer; a globally competitive, fast-growing copper producer, the number two private sector insurance company and the fourth-largest asset management company in India and the world’s eighth-largest producer of cement and the largest in a single geography;
The group employs about 72,000 people, has some 800,000 shareholders and aggregate revenue of US$ 7.9 billion as of this year. Aditya Birla Group has operations in 18 countries across four continents.
Watch Kumaramangalam Birla share aspects of his life not just limited to the corporate world with Shereen Bhan only on CNBC-TV18. The show brings to light his motivations and the environment that the super achiever – Kumaramangalam Birla – functions in.
Catch the sometimes reclusive and often inspiring Kumaramangalam Birla as he talks about his work, his life and his dreams on Power Turks II only on CNBC-TV18.
Kumaramangalam Birla in conversation with Shereen Bhan on ‘Power Turks III’ only on CNBC-TV18
Friday, August 11, 2006 at 7 pm
Repeat telecast on Sunday, August 13, at 1 pm and 9.30 pm
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.
