News Broadcasting
News18 India to organise its flagship summit Chaupal on 20 March
Mumbai: News18 India, hindi news channel, is all set to host the next edition of its marquee initiative ‘News18 India Chaupal’. The highly anticipated event will bring together the who’s who of politics and thought leaders from multiple other fields for a discussion on India’s emergence as a global power. The event is scheduled to take place on 20 March in Delhi.
In the lead-up to the general elections of 2024, ‘News18 India Chaupal’ will host those who run the country to discuss and deliberate ideas & perspectives across a range of critical themes & topics that will impact the future of the world’s largest democracy. This edition of ‘News18 India Chaupal’ will focus on India’s growing stature on the global stage and its emergence as a “Vishwaguru”.
Political leaders including JP Nadda, Nitin Gadkari etc. will share their vision for India’s future. Senior union cabinet ministers including Ashwini Vaishnaw, Mansukh Mandaviya, Anurag Thakur, Dharmendra Pradhan will offer their views on the evolving policy framework and how that is serving as an enabler of growth.
The event will also see Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel and other political luminaries such as Shashi Tharoor, Sachin Pilot, Hardik Patel, Priyanka Chaturvedi, Raghav Chadha, Supriya Shrinate, Imran Pratapgarhi touch upon the current political climate in India, as well as the upcoming elections in several states.
Others who will also speak at the event include the star cricketer Virender Sehwag, Khushbu Sundar, Gaur Gopal Das, Manoj Tiwari, and Dinesh Lal Yadav aka Nirahua.
Network 18 Hindi news CEO Karan Abhishek Singh said, “We are truly proud of the role that News18 India and our flagship summit Chaupal has played in driving the country’s development agenda. Chaupal has come to be regarded as the biggest platform that brings together leaders and opinion-makers to not just discuss India’s future but also help articulate an actionable plan. We are confident that at this crucial juncture in India’s growth journey, this year’s Chaupal will be even more impactful.”
News18 India’s managing editor, Kishore Ajwani said, “I am very excited about our upcoming thought leadership summit – Chaupal. For us this is not just an event but an important part of the responsibility that we see us essaying as the country’s No. 1 Hindi news channel – given how Chaupal enables us to contribute positively to setting the development agenda for the country. I am very excited about the line-up that we have for Chaupal and am very confident that our viewers will find the discussions very compelling and insightful”
The event will be broadcast live on News18 India on 20 March from 11:00 am onwards. Updates will also be available on all of the channel’s social media assets. Viewers can partake in any discussions on the on-going sessions using the #News18IndiaChaupal.
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.
