Ahead of IPO plans, Jio’s spectrum dues decline 4% to ₹1.04 trillion in FY26
New Delhi: Reliance Jio’s payment liability to the department of telecommunications (DoT) was: ₹1.04 trillion as of March-end, down 4.2% from the previous year due to payment of earlier installments, according to Reliance Industries Ltd’s FY26 annual report.
Liability remains important, primarily due to the company’s historically aggressive spectrum purchasing strategy, especially during the 2022 5G auction, where it has secured radio frequencies at value. ₹88,000 crore.
Reliance Jio is India’s largest telecom operator by market share and handles most of the business of Jio Platforms, which is in the process of filing its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) for its initial public offering (IPO).
For March 2021 auction The telecom operator has a deferred payment obligation. ₹30,213 crore to be paid in 13 equal annual installments with interest at 7.30% per annum. Jio has deferred payment obligation for 2022 5G auction ₹73,425 crore will be paid in 16 equal annual installments.
The deferred payment obligation for the spectrum purchased in the July 2024 tender is in February: ₹The company announced ₹876 crore to be paid in 18 equal annual installments from August 2026.
Of course, DoT did not conduct any spectrum auctions in FY 2021, missing the annual schedule approved by the Union cabinet in the 2021 telecom reforms, which stated that auctions would be held in the last quarter of every financial year.
In February, the telecommunications regulator made airwaves much more valuable, paving the way for the next spectrum auction. ₹2 trillion in the bloc, with sharp reductions in reserve prices being proposed to increase participation by cash-strapped operators. The same is also being considered by DoT.
“As Jio transforms into a global technology leader, we are taking deliberate steps to strengthen its corporate framework, increase transparency and prepare it for the opportunities ahead.” Reliance Industries chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani said in his annual report.
As of the end of March, Reliance Jio’s spectrum value was at the following level: ₹compared to 1.88 trillion ₹1.47 trillion in the same period of the previous year.
Jio had 524 million users as of the end of March. Of these, the country’s largest telecom operator has more than 268 million 5G users. The company focuses on creating intellectual property for next-generation digital technologies, especially 5G and 6G.
As of the end of March, Jio Platforms and its subsidiaries had cumulatively filed 6,817 patent applications. Of these, 2,393 were filed in India and 4,424 in foreign jurisdictions. According to the annual report, 1,009 of the total applications were submitted worldwide; of these, 538 were awarded in India and 471 in foreign countries. In FY26, Jio filed approximately 3,476 new patents.
In April, Jio Platforms appointed Akash Ambani as chief executive for five years. Akash Ambani’s salary increased ₹2.55 crore in FY26 from 2.31 crore in FY25.
For FY26, the company reported a 14.7% increase in revenue from operations. ₹1.72 trillion. Its net profit for the whole year was 24 million TL. ₹30,053 crore, 15% growth. EBITDA for the full year increased by 19% ₹76,255 crore, which the company attributes to its traction in mobility, home broadband and enterprise services.
The telecom operator reiterated that it is considering exporting the technologies it has developed locally. “Following large-scale development of 5G and FWA stack in India, Jio as a managed service provider will offer its proprietary network technologies in select international markets in partnership with local operators,” the company said in its annual report.
Jio had 74,822 employees as of the end of March; This figure was 94,523 in the same period of the previous year.
