News Broadcasting
Tomorrow’s bigwigs in ‘India Inc 2.0’ on ET Now
MUMBAI: ET NOW, India’s leading English Business News channel, is launching a brand new series India Inc 2.0. Tune in to ET Now beginning 29 April to watch ‘India Inc 2.0’ every Saturday at 1230pm & 1030pm, and Sun 8pm
This series features some of the most dynamic corporate leaders of tomorrow, young men and women armed with powerful surnames but carving their own niche in the corporate landscape. We take them out of boardrooms, into their workplace and finds out what are the challenges and pressure that they face, in being India Inc 2.0.
Commenting on the launch, ET Now executive editor Sandeep Gurumurthi said, “India is evolving as a hub of young entrepreneurs who have created new opportunities and trends to build a dynamic business model. What’s interesting to see is that how these young entrepreneurs are ready to move out of their successful family business and explore different avenues to become successful entrepreneurs. The idea of celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship resulted in India Inc 2.0.”
These young leaders have convinced some of the toughest boardrooms to diversify from core businesses and introduce new age processes. They are redefining corporate India and changing the rules of the game.
For example, Analjit Singh’s 30-year old daughter Tara shares how she secured Max board’s approval to set up the country’s first senior living home in a hill station. Abhimanyu Munjal, 32, gets candid with all the difficulties he faced after getting Hero Motocorp’s green light to foray into financial services.
The series begins with HCL Founder Shiv Nadar’s only child Roshni who takes us to the 20-acre non profit school in Uttar Pradesh to open up about why education is the next big gamble.
Then there’s Ajay Piramal’s son Anand who chose to not enter the family’s core business of pharmaceuticals but instead pursue real estate.
India Inc 2.0 will be anchored by ET Now Delhi Bureau deputy chief Nayantara Rai. With a decade plus of experience, Rai is one of Indian Television’s most renowned journalist and business news anchor. She has tracked several sectors like real estate, oil & gas, M&As and regularly interviews influential policy makers and leading corporates.
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.
