Cable TV
Reliance Jio embarks 4G trail service for public
MUMBAI: Bringing Mukesh Ambani’s vision of digitising the entire country to get its people to use the internet is a step closer to fruition. Reliance Jio has opened its service for the general public on a ‘trail’ basis. There are a couple of conditions attached though for now. One can buy the Jio sim-card after getting an invite from employees of Reliance Industries group firms and must buy an LYF handset. Reliance’s LYF range of mobile devices cost between Rs 5,599 and Rs 19,499 each.
A few days ago, the company had said, “The launch is now being expanded to others in the ecosystem. This test programme will be progressively upgraded into commercial operations in coming months.”
The invite from an employee reads, “As we inch closer towards our commercial launch, we are providing our near and dear ones (Yes you!) a chance to test out our network”.
RIL organisation’s employee under the scheme can invite 10 people to buy the Jio’s 4G sim and LYF handset. The connection comes along with unlimited 4G mobile internet and phone call service for 90 days. The invitee will need to pay Rs 200 to activate the services.This will also grant user free unlimited access to Jio’s 4G mobile applications like Jio Play, Jio On-demand, JioMag, JioBeats, Jio Drive etc for 90 days.
RIL claims to have approximately 5 lakh users currently using its network during the trial phase and has seen that the average monthly consumption per user is in excess of 18 gigabyte within the first month of service. The average voice usage is over 250 minutes within the first month claims the company.
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.
