DB Corp announces Q4 FY25 results

In performance highlights for FY25, total revenue stands at Rs 24,212-million as against Rs 24,821 million in FY24. Advertising revenue stands at Rs 16,899-million as against Rs 17,524 million in FY24. Circulation revenue stands at Rs 4,734 million as against Rs 4,791 million. EBIDTA is at Rs 6,270 million as against Rs 7,033 million. Net Profit stands at Rs 3,710-million as against Rs 4,255-million.

In performance highlights for Q4FY25, total revenue stands at Rs 5,668-million as against Rs 6,418-million last year which was an election-driven high base year. Advertising revenue stands at Rs 3,841-million as against Rs 4,457-million, due to high-base of last year. Circulation revenue stands at Rs 1,172-million as against Rs 1,187-million. EBIDTA stands at Rs 1,017-million as against Rs 1,967 million.
Net Profit stands at Rs 523 million as against Rs 1,225 million.

In a key development, DB Corp delivered advertisement revenue CAGR growth of 13% in the last three years, from Rs 11,827-million in FY22 to Rs 16,899-million in FY25. Similarly, PAT has delivered an impressive 38% CAGR growth in the last three years from Rs 1,426 -million in FY22 to Rs 3,710-million in FY25.

DB Corp delivered revenue of Rs 24,212-million in FY25, achieving an EBITDA of Rs 6,270-million and PAT of Rs 3,710-million. While it maintained a strong performance through the first nine months, the challenging global and resultant Indian market conditions in Q4 tempered its overall growth trajectory for FY25. The previous year's election-driven high base also affected YOY comparisons. Notably, its circulation strategy proved successful, with an impressive addition of copies across markets during the Q4FY25. 

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, with an impressive EBITDA margin of 26%. Print business EBITDA margin is at 30% in FY25. 

DB Corp has demonstrated exceptional performance in reader acquisition and circulation growth. With copies addition across DB markets in India through a well-executed multi-channel strategy. This initiative commenced with the innovative Jeeto 14 Crores Reader Scheme and was further supported by an extensive on-ground acquisition campaign led by a team of 900 members.

Commenting on the performance for Q4FY25, Sudhir Agarwal, managing director, DB Corp, “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 validate the enduring power of print media and give us optimism for the quarters ahead. Our digital ecosystem continues to gain momentum, solidifying our integrated leadership across all platforms.”

He added, “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 the likelihood of a normal monsoon. We continue to remain focused on strengthening our market position and pursuing meaningful opportunities for expansion and innovation.”