DB Corp, publisher of Dainik Bhaskar, Divya Bhaskar, Divya Marathi, and Saurashtra Samachar, has announced its consolidated financial results for the quarter (Q2) ending 30 September of the financial year (FY) 2025-26.
Net profit grew by 13% y-o-y at Rs 93.5 crore in Q2FY26, as against Rs 82.6 crore in the corresponding period in the last financial year (Q2FY25), after adjusting for forex loss of Rs 1.5 crore, whereas total revenue grew by 9% y-o-y to Rs 634.7 crore in Q2FY26 as against Rs 582.5 crore last year.
Advertising revenue in Q2FY26 grew by around 12% y-o-y to Rs 447.8 crore as against Rs 401.4 crore in Q2FY25. Excluding the early festival benefit, ad revenue grew by a high single digit. On a q-o-q basis, ad revenue grew by around 13%.
The company’s advertising revenue in Q1FY26 stood at Rs 397.80 crore. Circulation revenue grew by 3% y-o-y to Rs 120.8 crore in Q2FY26 as against Rs 117.5 crore in Q2FY25. EBIDTA grew by 10% y-o-y to Rs 158.4 crore in Q2FY26 as against Rs 144.2 crore in Q2FY25, after adjusting for forex loss of Rs 90 lakh. Circulation revenue was Rs 120.3 crore in Q1 FY26, while EBIDTA was Rs 138.4 crore.
In the first half (H1) of FY 26, total revenue of DB Corp grew by 2% Rs 1221.9 crore as against Rs 1198.8 crore in the first half of FY25. The company’s advertising revenue in the first half grew by 2% y-o-y to Rs 845.5 crore as against Rs 829.1 crore in H1FY25.
Circulation revenue in H1 FY 26 grew by 2% y-o-y to Rs 241.1 crore as against Rs 236.7 crore. EBIDTA was recorded at Rs 296.8 crore as against Rs 335.1 crore. Net profit in H1FY26 stood at Rs 174.3 crore as against Rs 200.4 crore, after adjusting for forex loss of Rs 1.75 crore.
According to DB Corp, in Q2FY26, Dainik Bhaskar reinforced its position as India’s largest circulated newspaper group, as validated by the latest ABC Report (Jan–July 2025).
Reasons behind DB Corp’s growth
The growth momentum, the company announced, was maintained in H1FY26, driven by a sound performance in Q2FY26, which witnessed advertising revenue growth of 11.5% y-o-y to Rs 447.8 crore. This growth was supported by favorable macro and seasonal factors such as normal monsoon, interest rate reduction, early onset of the festive season in Q2 versus Q3 last year, GST rate cuts and encouraging GDP growth.
“Our strong brand equity, high advertiser confidence, and deep consumer engagement helped amplify these tailwinds, driving consistent performance. The print business as revenue grew by 12% y-o-y. Print EBITDA grew by 10% y-o-y with a strong EBIDTA margin of 28%. This improvement was primarily driven by continued soft newsprint prices and our continued focus on operational efficiencies and disciplined cost management. Q2 FY26 profit after tax saw a 13% YoY growth to Rs 93.5 crore, showcasing sustained profitability. Newsprint average per ton cost remains at around Rs 47,000 in Q2FY26, same as in Q1FY26. Global newsprint prices are expected to stay range-bound over the next few quarters, subject to exchange rate fluctuations.”
Commenting on the performance for Q2FY26, Sudhir Agarwal, managing director, DB Corp, said, “We are pleased to report another quarter of steady performance, backed by a healthy pick-up in advertising momentum, aided by the early onset of the festive season and the positive impact of GST rate reductions across key consumption categories. These factors, coupled with a broad-based improvement in consumer sentiment, drove consistent advertiser engagement across our platforms. “
“DB Corp’s digital business continues to scale rapidly, reinforcing our position as India’s leading Indian language news app platform. As we look ahead, we remain encouraged by the government’s pro-consumption measures, which are expected to stimulate demand in Tier II and III markets—the core of our readership base. With our deep editorial strength, trusted brand equity, and growing digital reach, we are well-positioned to capture opportunities across print and digital media, and to continue delivering sustained growth and long-term value for all stakeholders,” Agarwal said.
