iWorld
Reliance Jio races ahead in FY26 as profit tops Rs 30,000 crore
Strong subscriber gains, rising ARPU and IPL boost keep growth engine humming
MUMBAI: Reliance Jio has delivered another brisk year, shrugging off a crowded telecom market to post a profit of Rs 30,053 crore for FY26, as swelling data demand and a richer subscriber mix powered double-digit growth.
In the January–March quarter, the group’s digital spearhead reported revenue of Rs 44,929 crore, up 12.7 per cent year on year, while profit after tax rose 13 per cent to Rs 7,935 crore. EBITDA climbed 17.9 per cent to Rs 20,060 crore, with margins expanding by 230 basis points—evidence of operating leverage kicking in as scale deepens.
For the full year, revenue reached Rs 1,72,317 crore, underscoring sustained momentum across mobility, broadband and digital services.
Subscriber additions remained sturdy. The base crossed 524 million in the March quarter, including 268 million 5G users. Net additions stood at 9.1 million in the quarter, while churn held steady at 1.7 per cent. Average revenue per user rose to Rs 214, helped by tariff optimisation and an improving subscriber mix.
“Sustained double-digit revenue growth was driven by organic ARPU growth, improving subscriber mix in mobility, scale-up of home connects and growth in digital services,” the company said in a regulatory filing.
Next-generation services are beginning to bite. The company added 75 million 5G users and around 10 million fixed broadband connections over FY26, tightening its grip on India’s data economy.
Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm, signalled a broader pivot. “With over 524 million subscribers, Jio is now positioned as the digital gateway to the intelligence era. Our connectivity and edge compute infrastructure will enable AI services for consumers and businesses, sustaining long-term growth,” he said.
There is also a seasonal kicker. The ongoing Indian Premier League 2026 is expected to turbocharge data consumption, with bundled “JioHome Cricket Season Packs” aimed at capturing the surge in streaming.
With scale, pricing power and a swelling digital ecosystem, Jio is not merely adding users—it is tightening its hold on how India consumes data, one exabyte at a time.
