News Broadcasting
SAP, TV9 Network join hands to empower and celebrate India’s SMEs
Mumbai: After the stupendous success of the ‘Leaders of Global Bharat’ series that aimed at empowering Indian SMEs hit hard by pandemic-induced lockdowns last year, TV9 Network and SAP India have again joined hands to forge two pioneering initiatives to help homegrown businesses rise and shine in enabling an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
With the objective to engage our business heroes from SMEs in more meaningful pursuits to inspire a whole new generation to take on the mantle of entrepreneurship and also acknowledge their contribution to India’s growth, SAP India and TV9 Network announced the launch of Mentors of Global Bharat series and Dare2Dream Awards 2021.
These two ambitious programmes were announced at Enabling Atmanirbhar Bharat forum, which saw participation from technology thought leaders, eminent policymakers, and business stalwarts.
Stating that TV9 Network is happy to be associated with SAP in this exciting journey, TV9 Network chief growth officer (television & digital), Raktim Das said, “SME sector is indeed the growth locomotive of Indian business & economy. They provide critical depth to the manufacturing and service sectors, foster entrepreneurship, and generate substantial employment. Enabling and empowering them to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat is an imperative.”
“While Mentors of Global Bharat will be a platform where aspiring entrepreneurs will meet business icons and get to learn from their success stories and business best practices; Dare2Dream Awards will look at recognizing business leaders who had the resilience to not only tide over the pandemic induced crisis but also come out stronger by resetting their business models,” added Das.
Commenting on the programme, SAP president of Asia Pacific – Japan Paul Marriott said, “We have seen the unprecedented adverse impact of the pandemic on business and economy – with supply chains being disrupted and demand drying up. There is no playbook or prescription that can guide businesses to emerge from such impact and resurrect themselves rapidly.”
“In the many interactions that we have had with our SME customers, we realised that many entrepreneurs felt the need to interact with mentors who have successfully traversed the same path before. Peer-to-peer learning and recognition of digital-led innovation are both very important in these times and any platform that facilitates these is a step in the right direction,” he added.
On SAP’s constant endeavour to empower homegrown businesses, SAP Indian subcontinent president and MD Kulmeet Bawa said, “Our Global Bharat program was introduced to support MSMEs last year. Taking this program forward, we are today launching these two pioneering initiatives.”
“While the Mentors of Global Bharat programme is designed to help SME entrepreneurs to learn and get inspired by industry leaders and peers who have successfully navigated the new normal, the Dare2Dream Awards series was established to recognize visionaries in the SME sector who have demonstrated innovation and digital mindset and create business impact in adverse times,” Bawa added.
Terming it one of the most required programmes aimed at helping entrepreneurs, SAP India midmarket vice president Subramanian Ananthapadmanabhan said, “Whether one is just starting out or looking to improve their SME’s quality and turnover, it can be hard to know what direction to go next and it’s completely normal. No business owner knows everything at the start. That’s part of the reason why being mentored as a business owner is such a brilliant idea.”
The series was launched in Enabling Atmanirbhar Bharat forum which saw participation from eminent policymakers 15th Finance Commission chairman NK Singh; Noted economist and former chief economic advisor Dr Arvind Virmani, and SIDBI chairman Sivasubramanian Ramann.
Speaking on the role of MSMEs in enabling an Atmanirbhar Bharat, Singh said, “It’s a force multiplier. India’s quest for becoming a $5 tn economy and more rests majorly on the SME sector. The quest for generating gainful employment is also primarily dependent on how we provide a fillip to the small and medium businesses. I regard our homegrown businesses central to India’s quest for increasing productivity and efficiency and also emerge as a leading global player.”
Dr Arvind Virmani said, “We must ensure that there is a level playing for our SMEs. The taxation reforms for new manufacturing enterprises is a welcome step. SMEs are critical to India’s inclusive growth and to ensure that as a country we sustain a growth momentum for the next 30 years. Corporations like SAP will drive productivity to make SMEs successful.”
Mentors of Global Bharat got a shot in the arm with Paramount Cables chairman and CEO Sanjay Aggarwal and Insecticides (India) Ltd managing director Rajesh Aggarwal, who joined as mentors for the initiative. They also lauded the objective behind the mentorship programme.
More industry leaders will be joining as Mentors of Global Bharat in the coming weeks.
Watch the full episode here:
https://www.facebook.com/TV9Bharatvarsh/videos/851419602205284
To know more about the initiative, visit: https://www.growthmattersforum.com/global_bharat_program
https://growthmattersforum.com/new-launch/dare2dream-awards-and-mentors-of-global-bharat/
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.
