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Prominent Union ministers to headline the 7th edition of Times Network India Economic Conclave
MUMBAI: Times Network is gearing up for the seventh edition of its annual signature event, Times Network India Economic Conclave (IEC). Driving the theme, ‘India’s Decade: Reform. Perform. Transform’, the two-day conclave on 25-26 March in New Delhi will witness a stellar line-up of policy makers, change makers, growth agents, disruptors and global thinkers, mining actionable strategies to expedite India’s economic growth.
The hallmark platform for economic thought leadership, IEC this year brings together the architects, who will shape the golden decade for our nation including minister of finance and corporate affairs Nirmala Sitharaman, minister of law & justice, communications, electronics Ravi Shankar Prasad, minister of railways, commerce & industry, consumer affairs Piyush Goyal, minister for road transport & highways Nitin Gadkari, minister of petroleum & natural gas and steel Dharmendra Pradhan, minister for textiles and women & child development Smriti Irani, minister of health and science & technology Dr Harsh Vardhan, minister of external affairs Dr S Jaishankar, Hardeep Singh Puri – Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs, Civil Aviation and MoS Commerce & Industry, Ramesh Pokhriyal – Minister of Education, Bhupesh Baghel – Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh, Shaktikanta Das – Governor, RBI, Krishnamurthy V Subramanian – Chief Economic Adviser of India, Amitabh Kant – CEO, NITI Aayog, General Bipin Rawat – Chief of Defence Staff, K Sivan – Chairman, ISRO, Uday Kotak – VC & MD , Kotak Mahindra Bank, Rakesh Jhunjhunwala – Partner, RARE Enterprises, V Vaidyanathan – MD & CEO , IDFC FIRST Bank, Ashish Jhalani – CMO (Global), Square Panda (USA) & MD, Square Panda India, Andre Agassi – Chairman and Founder, The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education & Chairman of Board, Square Panda, Nassim Nicholas Taleb – Essayist & Author and Peter Zeihan – Geopolitical Strategist and founder of Zeihan on Geopolitics amongst others. IEC 2021 will cover critical conversation points including global trade & the economy, sector specific challenges & opportunities to key reforms, geopolitical shifts and building infrastructure.
Successfully establishing itself as the distinguished global stage for driving India’s economic agenda, India Economic Conclave has been instrumental in addressing the critical issues concerning the country’s economic scenario. In its latest edition, IEC will focus on India’s outlook and vision for the new decade and aims to unleash India’s potential to supersede the world economic order.
Times Network MD & CEO MK Anand said, “India has never been in a more interesting position from a global point of view. As the world enters a new decade amidst the pandemic, India enters the most crucial phase in its economic history post liberalisation. The global order of trade is changing. What started with the ‘Make America Great Again’ campaign a few years ago has gained momentum across. As a major economy which was not so integrated into the global system, this leaves us with a comparative advantage over others who will face headwinds in the emerging scenario. India is also pursuing ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and an aggressive ‘Make in India’ strategy to further insulate itself. This is an interesting canvas to draw the agenda of India for the new decade. Can India claim its spot at the high table of major economies? Will India ride on the demographic dividend or face a demographic challenge? Will India play the role of a catalyst and guardian in the Indian Ocean Region? These are critical questions that will affect India’s growth in the next decade and as always India Economic Conclave will attempt to bring these into sharper focus.”
Adhering to strict Covid2019 protocols and capping attendance to a limited number of guests to meet social distancing norms, IEC 2021 is a ‘by invitation only’ event, which will follow the highest standards of hygiene and sanitation to bring a ‘contactless event experience’.
For more details visit – https://www.indiaeconomicconclave.com/
The seventh edition of India Economic Conclave is presented by IDFC First Bank.
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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.
