News Broadcasting
Moneycontrol banks on Zarrar Don, plays ace to boost revenue and market grip
MUMBAI: Ever heard of putting your money where your mouth is? Moneycontrol clearly has, as they’ve handed the revenue steering wheel over to none other than Zarrar Don—a man who doesn’t just chase opportunities, he tackles them to the ground. Is Moneycontrol placing all its eggs in one basket? Possibly, but when that basket is as sturdy as Don, who’s complaining?
On 18 March 2025, Moneycontrol officially announced Don as its new chief revenue & business growth officer, entrusting him to drive sales and revenue growth across all its formats. If you’ve ever wondered how Moneycontrol plans to stay ahead in India’s competitive financial news arena—well, now you know.
Don isn’t new to the big league. With over 20 years in media, financial services, and retail, he’s a seasoned pro at turning strategies into solid cash. His recent tenure as CRO for business news at News18 Studios showed he’s got the knack for revenue strategy, leadership, and brand building. Translation: he’s the guy you want in your corner during tough business brawls.
His role at Moneycontrol? Simple—grow, grow, and keep growing. His mission is to amplify Moneycontrol’s position as India’s go-to financial platform. A task he’s uniquely suited for, given his track record of turning big ideas into big results.
Moneycontrol, already India’s leading financial platform, pulls in impressive numbers—38.35 million unique visitors in January alone, according to Comscore MMX data. That’s 3.35 million more than The Economic Times, if anyone’s keeping score (which clearly, we are). Plus, Moneycontrol Pro, the platform’s subscription service, already crossed the one million subscriber milestone last October, catapulting it into the global top 15 news subscription platforms.
Clearly, Don’s job isn’t just about maintaining a lead; it’s about widening it enough to comfortably sip chai without spilling.
Will Don turn Moneycontrol’s promising growth into a money-spinning saga? Time will tell, but judging by his CV, we’re betting this Don’s rule will be one for the books.
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.
