iWorld
RIL likely to infuse Rs 20,000 cr in Reliance Jio
MUMBAI: Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is likely to infuse Rs 20,000 crore in Reliance Jio to boost its broadband and 5G services. As per a Mint report, Reliance Jio will issue 4 billion non-cumulative optionally convertible preference shares to its parent at Rs 50 each for cash.
“The capital would be used to expand operations of Reliance Jio. The non-cumulative optionally convertible preference shares carry an interest rate of 9 per cent," Mint report said citing a source. Jio has built a subscriber base of 306.7 million in a very short span of time.
An analyst at a domestic brokerage said that capital requirement for the telecom sector will stay high due to the constant infrastructure upgradation and the proposed 5G expansion. He added that Jio is now focused on reaching out to the country’s underserved homes and enterprise connectivity market.
RIL has an outstanding debt of more than Rs 2.87 trillion as of 31 March which increased by Rs 69,000 crore during the year due to investments in Jio. The telco giant has decided to transfer its fibre and tower arms to two infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs) – Digital Fibre Infrastructure Trust and Tower Infrastructure Trust to cure debt.
“In our view, the InvIT has effectively allowed RIL to replace ₹710 billion of external debt with very-long-term (20-year) money and thereby remove any refinancing need on this amount of debt. It also gives more balance sheet flexibility and allows RIL to further increase spending across its consumer business if it chooses to do so,” said an earlier JPMorgan report as quoted by Mint.
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
