DB Corp reported a decline in total income for the January-March quarter (Q4FY25), which dropped to Rs 566.7 crore from Rs 641.7 crore in Q3FY25.
The company’s net profit for the quarter stood at Rs 52.37 crore, reflecting a 57.27% year-on-year decrease from Rs 122.55 crore in March 2024. Revenue from operations for FY25 was Rs 2,339.1 crore.
For the full financial year ending March 31, 2025, DB Corp’s total income amounted to Rs 2,421.2 crore, slightly lower than Rs 2,482.1 crore in FY24.
Advertising revenue for Q4 FY25 was Rs 384.1 crore, reflecting a 13.82% decline from Rs 445.7 crore in Q4 FY24. Circulation revenue also saw a slight drop of 1.26%, reaching Rs 117.2 crore in Q4 FY25 compared to Rs 118.7 crore in the same quarter of the previous fiscal year.
The radio business reported advertising revenue of Rs 37.6 crore, compared to Rs 41.2 crore in the previous period. Additionally, EBITDA stood at Rs 10.7 crore, down from Rs 14.4 crore.
“Although advertising revenues faced headwinds in Q4FY25, we are observing encouraging signs of recovery. We anticipate returning to our growth trajectory in the upcoming quarters. Soft newsprint prices, efficient cost management and favourable foreign exchange movement aided profitability throughout the past fiscal,” the company stated.
“Print business EBITDA margin is at 30% in FY25. Our Radio Business led industry growth with a 4.4% YOY increase in advertising revenue to Rs 1,663 million and EBIDTA grew by 1.3% to Rs 558 million,” it added.
As expected, newsprint prices remained stable in dollar terms in Q4FY25 and are expected to remain soft for the next few quarters subject to dollar exchange fluctuation.
“Our full year results show a modest slowdown after three years of impressive growth trajectory, primarily due to comparison with last year’s election-driven fourth quarter surge and a cautious stance by advertisers in the fourth quarter. The standout achievement this quarter has been our rising circulation numbers, which validates the enduring power of print media and gives us optimism for the quarters ahead. Our digital ecosystem continues to gain momentum, solidifying our integrated leadership across all platforms,” Sudhir Agarwal, Managing Director, DB Corp, said.
“While global economic uncertainties linger, we expect India’s robust consumption-driven growth to continue in the near to medium term on the back of certain positive triggers like Income Tax benefit, implementation of the 8th Pay Commission and likelihood of a Normal Monsoon. We continue to remain focused on strengthening our market position and pursuing meaningful opportunities for expansion and innovation,” he added.
