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Arun Jaitley inaugurates ET Now’s 2nd India Economic Conclave
MUMBAI: “Fortune favours the brave, and the BJP has made the most softening global crude prices. Not only has it boosted the fiscal health of the economy, but has also eased significant pressure on the domestic prices, indicating that the inflation could go down below the level of 5.5%,” Arun Jaitley said at ET Now’s 2nd edition of India Economic Conclave.
The day long conclave themed – ‘India: The Giant Awakens’ had four sessions that brought together captains of Indian industry, policy makers, institutional investors and civil society leaders that included key ministers like Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu, Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Power Minister Piyush Goyal.
While making keynote address it was pointed out that the government will make the most of the decisive mandate bestowed on them in the General Election this year. They will push through key legislations like GST, Coal Ordinance, easing land laws and amendments to the New Companies Act. And to push through these laws Jaitley and government is ready to take all stakeholders along. In a move to push the GST Amendment Bill in this session itself, the finance minister will meet his State counterparts to iron out concerns and build consensus.
Speaking to India Inc, the finance minister strongly criticized UPA’s tax policies, saying that, “The government and investments paid a big price for some of the tax measures that would never yield revenues.” Obviously, referring to the controversial retrospective amendment to tax capital gains, transfer pricing of shares and GAAR.
In his government’s endeavor to climb back to a high growth trajectory, Arun Jaitley highlighted the need to push manufacturing and reform the banking sector. While the finance minister said that he was acutely aware of growth and direct taxes growing a slow pace, he was confident of meeting his revenue targets. With his sights set on the February Budget, Jaitley promised to address India Inc’s concerns to boost growth.
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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.
