• Event Type: Q1 FY27 Earnings Conference Call held for investors and analysts to discuss financial performance for the quarter ended June 30, 2026.
  • Date and Time: The conference call was held on Thursday, July 16, 2026 at 4:30 PM IST.
  • Purpose: Discussion of the company's financial performance and operational updates for Q1 FY27, followed by a question-and-answer session.
  • Management Participants:
  • Mr. Pawan Agarwal – Deputy Managing Director
  • Mr. Girish Agarwal – Director
  • Mr. Lalit Jain – Chief Financial Officer
  • Mr. Mushtaq Ali – Senior Vice President, Finance and Accounts
  • Availability of Materials: The transcript of the conference call was submitted to exchanges on July 20, 2026 and is available on the company's website at https://www.dbcorpltd.com/financial-results.php. The specific link to the transcript is: https://dbcorpltd.com/img/DBCorpQ1FY27ConferenceCallTranscript.pdf
  • Financial Highlights Discussed:
  • Consolidated total revenue increased by 8% YoY to ₹6,220 million
  • EBITDA grew by 19% YoY to ₹1,647 million
  • EBITDA margin expanded by 250 basis points to 26.1% from 23.6% in Q1 FY26
  • Profit after tax increased by 25% YoY to ₹1,007 million from ₹808 million
  • Consolidated advertising revenue grew by 10% YoY to ₹4,320 million from ₹3,933 million
  • Circulation revenue remained stable at ₹1,204 million
  • Radio business revenue increased to ₹425 million from ₹392 million, with EBITDA growing 29% to ₹148 million
  • Operational Updates:
  • Newsprint prices increased by 13% YoY and 8% QoQ, with current price around ₹53,000
  • Digital news applications recorded 19-20 million monthly active users as of Q1 FY27
  • Circulation copies stood at approximately 38 lakh copies in Q1 FY27
  • Average cover price was ₹4.93, largely flat YoY
  • Capex guidance of ₹150-160 crore for property acquisitions to save rental expenses
  • Spending ₹20-25 crore annually on circulation and promotion initiatives
  • Sectoral Performance:
  • Education sector advertising was flat due to NEET exam rescheduling
  • Automobile sector advertising was negative due to geopolitical issues affecting fuel supply and rates
  • Government advertising grew in double digits benefiting from DAVP price increase of 26%
  • Sector contributions: Education (~20%), Government (14-15%), Real Estate (11-12%), Jewellery (~5%)
  • Forward-looking Statements:
  • Newsprint prices expected to increase in Q2 but likely to decline from Q3/Q4
  • Radio business targeting 12% growth despite fixed capacity constraints
  • Digital monetization remains a long-term focus with current revenue contribution being miniscule
  • Uttar Pradesh elections in March 2027 seen as a significant opportunity for digital growth

Additional Notes Section

  • The document includes the complete transcript of the earnings conference call with detailed Q&A session covering financial performance, operational metrics, and strategic outlook.
  • The company emphasized that no unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI) was shared during the call, as indicated by the regulatory compliance language.
  • Financial data was extensively disclosed including revenue breakdowns, margin performance, segment-wise results, and cost structure details.
  • The transcript contains management commentary on market share gains in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, despite overall industry circulation decline of 2-4%.
  • Digital initiatives discussed include AI-powered micro-dramas based on news content, focus on Uttar Pradesh market, and exclusive video content creation.