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Reliance Retail posts record revenue in festive Q3
MUMBAI: When shoppers splurged this festive season, Reliance Retail clearly cashed in. That was the message from Reliance Retail CFO and head of corporate development Dinesh Taluja as he walked analysts through the company’s performance during the earnings call following the unaudited financial results for the quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2025.
Speaking in the transcripted call, Taluja said the retail arm posted its highest-ever quarterly revenue of Rs.97,600 crore, up 8.1 per cent year-on-year, despite a shifting festive calendar and the impact of GST rate rationalisation from late September. EBITDA for the quarter stood at Rs.6,915 crore, translating into an 8 per cent margin, while profit after tax rose to nearly Rs.3,600 crore. Margins, he noted, were influenced by festive promotions, rapid investments in hyperlocal commerce and a one-time impact from the new labour code.
Hyperlocal commerce emerged as a standout growth lever. Reliance Retail ended the quarter with 1.6 million orders, clocking 53 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth and a striking 360 per cent rise year-on-year. The business now spans 5,000-plus pin codes across 1,000-plus cities, supported by over 3,000 stores, including a growing network of dark stores. Customer momentum remained strong, with 5.9 million new customers added during the quarter, pushing the base 43 per cent higher year-on-year.
Across categories, growth was broad-based. Grocery big-box formats delivered healthy like-for-like growth, while festive gifting drove record volumes. The B2B Metro business saw rising footfalls, aided by loyalty and engagement programmes for kirana partners. In fashion and lifestyle, Reliance continued to leverage its 1,300-plus city omnichannel network, enabling delivery windows ranging from 30 minutes to next day, a capability Taluja said competitors would struggle to replicate at scale.
Digital fashion platform Ajio also posted solid gains, with average order values up 21 per cent year-on-year, a live catalogue of 2.8 million options, and rapid expansion of services such as Ajio Rush, now live across 420 pin codes in 10 cities. Meanwhile, jewellery recorded strong value-led growth, with average bill values up 73 per cent, driven largely by higher gold prices and a surge in exchange-led purchases during Dhanteras.
Summing up his remarks on the call, Taluja pointed to scale, supply-chain depth and a dense store footprint as Reliance Retail’s key advantages. As he framed it, the quarter underscored how breadth across formats physical, digital and hyperlocal is steadily turning into a durable growth engine for the retail business.
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Axis Bank named Official Banking Partner of DP World PGTI
Partnership supports all tournaments this season to grow professional golf in India.
MUMBAI: Axis Bank just teed up a hole-in-one partnership because when a bank sponsors golf’s biggest swing in India, even the fairways feel more financially secure. Axis Bank has been appointed Official Banking Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India (DP World PGTI), strengthening its commitment to sporting excellence and community engagement while backing the growth of professional golf across the country.
Under the partnership, Axis Bank will support all DP World PGTI tournaments this season, contributing to talent development, enhanced tournament experiences and wider fan engagement. The collaboration aligns the bank’s values of precision, discipline and trust with the Tour’s focus on performance and opportunity.
Axis Bank executive director Munish Sharda said, “We are pleased to partner with DP World PGTI as its Official Banking Partner. Golf embodies precision, discipline, and a pursuit of excellence qualities that strongly reflect who we are at Axis Bank. This association also strengthens our engagement with India’s growing premium customer segments, where the sport has a deep and enduring connect.”
Professional Golf Tour of India president Kapil Dev said, “We are extremely pleased to welcome Axis Bank as a Tour Partner of the DP World Professional Golf Tour of India. Partnerships of this stature play a vital role in strengthening the foundation of the Tour, enhancing opportunities for our players, and expanding the sport’s reach across the country.”
Professional Golf Tour of India CEO Amandeep Johl added, “Axis Bank’s strong legacy of excellence, innovation, and nationwide reach aligns perfectly with DP World PGTI’s goal to elevate professional golf in India and provide greater opportunities for our players.”
In a sport where every stroke counts and every partnership drives distance, Axis Bank isn’t just backing golfers, it’s investing in the fairway to future, turning India’s greens into a stage where precision meets passion and every drive has the power to inspire.
