News Broadcasting
Zee Business’ ‘Shining India’ news show to simplify the jargons of the union budget
Mumbai: With Union Budget 2023 being presented this week the prime time of the year has arrived when there is an increased curiosity among the citizens of India on what’s next for the Indian economy?
The diversified Indian economy has grown steadily over the past 50 years, with strong trade relations with other countries. Expectations from industry leaders of different sectors are sky-high for the upcoming union budget. In an endeavour to report timely updates and analysis on the budget, Zee Business’ Shining India news show aims at engaging the viewers on budget day’ on 1 February 2023 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., primarily focusing on a full-day analysis, with a breakdown and discussion on the budget 2023-24. This will also further add extensive value to the advertisers, as it can create an impactful brand value among the target audience.
Through the Shining India, the channel has exclusively lined up guests and leaders to simplify the budget/finance jargons for the common man. This will allow viewers to have an in-depth understanding of the impact of union budget proposals on their day-to-day life. From the business point of view, this strategised move also brings in revenue and creates opportunities for sponsorship on exclusive budget programming and special packages around this theme.
Zee Business managing editor Anil Singhvi said, “The Indian economy has emerged as the world’s fifth largest, with a GDP of $3.5 trillion in 2022 aspiring to achieve a $5 trillion milestone by 2024-25. We, at Zee Business, strongly believe in truth and fairness in reporting. Budget sessions have been progressive, to attain economic development. Shinning India looks forward to providing a platform for key industry leaders to bring to light what can be expected in fiscal management, growth strategies that can be adopted for the manufacturing sector, infrastructural developments, etc.”
“Brands /clients have always been looking for innovative options to connect with their customers during budget season. That’s where Zee Business and ZMCL present cross-platform avenues with multiple engagement tools which serve varied client needs that are beyond regular FCTs. With our credible and comprehensive programming line-up, we hope to see significantly higher number of eyeballs and better stakeholder management, thus broadening the scope of our business,” highlighted Zee Business, Wion chief business officer Madhu Soman.
The channel added that it has a targeted marketing plan, including mailers, print ads and budget contests to maximise engagement of stakeholders. It also further aims to encourage the audiences to be involved in the budget coverage through the ongoing infotainment buzz via social media posts.
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.
