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Mukesh Ambani flags off ambitious digital initiative – Reliance Jio
MUMBAI: On the eve of the 83rd birth anniversary of the family patriarch Dhirubhai Ambani, Reliance Infocom Limited (RIL) launched Jio, Mukesh Ambani’s most ambitious digital initiative designed to deliver hi-speed connectivity and 4G broadband services in every nook and corner of India, to its one lakh-plus employees and their families.
The star-studded event, which featured Shah Rukh Khan and Academy-winning music director A R Rahman, saw many a firsts. The event saw the third-generation of Ambanis – twins Isha and Akash – taking centre-stage and welcoming the audience. It was also the first Employee-only, Partner-Consumer initiative ever to have happened in the history of corporate India, with over a lakh employees spread across a 1,072 centres across India, and one in Dallas, US, connected to the launch event at RCP on Jio’s own hi-speed network. Through two-way video conferencing, RIL chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani interacted with employees, who were watching the event from distant places.
The participants, all of whom where RIL and Jio’s employees hailed from varied cultural backgrounds located in diverse geographies. The motto: One India. One RIL. One Jio. One for all and all for one – resounded at the venue.
RIL launch event was reflective of a miniature India, where people from all walks of life and from various backgrounds engaged simultaneously. With this employee launch, Jio became the common strand that runs through every single employee, entwining them together.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambani said, “Friends, today on the eve of the 83rd birthday of Dhirubhai, it is my proud privilege to invite all our Reliance families and friends to be the first to experience Jio’s services. While you enjoy Jio Digital Life, I am also counting on you, as part of my family, to be part of co-creating the best experience for all our customers. I am sure that when you experience the next generation service of Reliance Jio – you will spread the word.”
Iterating his confidence in the youth of India, he further added, “India and Indians cannot afford to be left behind in this new world. India is ranked around 150 in the Internet and mobile broadband penetration out of 230 countries; Jio is conceived to change this. 1.3 billion Indians cannot be left behind as the world enters a new era. We have the youngest population in the world. Give them the tools. Give them the skills. Give them the environment. They will surprise us. It is this opportunity to transform the lives of our 1.3 billion Indians that motivated Reliance to enter this space. And Jio is the result. Jio will help advance and realise the potential of every Indian and India. I have no doubt that with the launch of Jio, India’s rank will go up from around 150 to among the top 10 in the next few years for internet and mobile broadband penetration.”
The event also saw the Old Reliance, the traditional projects and production powerhouse (B2B), joining hands with the New Reliance, the consumer-facing business of retail and digital services (B2C), to celebrate the employee launch of Jio, elevating them all on to a common digital platform where they will be living the same Digital Life.
The event was unique in another aspect. Digital townhalls of large corporates and multinationals usually involve only the top bosses. This is the first time a company has involved every single one of its employees, from the lowest rung right to the top, and their families in the town hall event. The corporate world has never witnessed anything like this before.
MUMBAI: When margins wobble, liquidity talks and in Q3 FY25-26, cash did most of the talking. Den Networks Limited closed the December quarter with consolidated revenue of Rs.251 crore, marginally higher than the previous quarter but down 4 per cent year-on-year, even as profitability stayed resilient on the back of strong cash reserves and disciplined cost control.
Subscription income softened to Rs.98 crore, slipping 3 per cent sequentially and 14 per cent from last year, while placement and marketing income offered some cheer, rising 15 per cent quarter-on-quarter to Rs.148 crore. Total costs climbed faster than revenue, up 7 per cent QoQ to Rs.238 crore, driven largely by higher content costs and operating expenses. As a result, EBITDA dropped sharply to Rs.13 crore from Rs.19 crore in Q2 and Rs.28 crore a year ago, pulling margins down to 5 per cent.
Yet, the bottom line refused to blink. Profit after tax stood at Rs.40 crore, up 15 per cent sequentially and only marginally lower than last year’s Rs.42 crore. A healthy Rs.57 crore in other income helped cushion operating pressure, keeping profit before tax at Rs.48 crore, broadly stable quarter-on-quarter despite the tougher cost environment.
The real headline-grabber, however, sits on the balance sheet. The company remains debt-free, with cash and cash equivalents swelling to Rs.3,279 crore as of December 31, 2025. Net worth rose to Rs.3,748 crore, while online collections accounted for 97 per cent of total receipts, underscoring strong cash discipline across operations, including subsidiaries.
In short, while Q3 showed signs of operating strain, the financial backbone remains solid. With zero gross debt, steady profits and a formidable cash war chest, the company enters the next quarter with flexibility firmly on its side proving that in uncertain markets, balance sheet strength can be the best growth strategy.
