Reliance Jio reported a reduction in its payment liability to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which now stands at ₹1.04 trillion as of March 2026. This marks a 4.2% decrease from the previous year, attributed to the clearing of earlier instalments.
The substantial liability is a result of Jio's aggressive strategy in acquiring spectrum, particularly during the 2022 5G auction where it secured radio frequencies valued at ₹88,000 crore.
As the largest telecom operator in India, Jio is in the process of filing its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) for an initial public offering (IPO). The company has a deferred payment liability of ₹30,213 crore from the March 2021 auction, which is payable in 13 annual instalments with an interest rate of 7.30% per annum. Additionally, for the 2022 5G auction, the deferred payment liability is ₹73,425 crore, payable in 16 equal annual instalments.
Looking ahead, the deferred payment liability from the July 2024 auction is set at ₹876 crore, payable in 18 equal annual instalments starting from August 2026.
Notably, the DoT did not conduct any spectrum auctions in FY26, deviating from the annual schedule established by the Union cabinet during the 2021 telecom reforms.
In February, the telecom regulator prepared for the next auction by proposing airwaves worth over ₹2 trillion, along with significant cuts in reserve prices to encourage participation from financially constrained operators.
Future Prospects: Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, emphasized the company's commitment to evolving into a global technology leader, enhancing its institutional framework and transparency.
As of March-end, Jio's spectrum value increased to ₹1.88 trillion from ₹1.47 trillion the previous year. The company reported having 524 million users, with over 268 million being 5G users. Jio continues to focus on developing intellectual property in next-generation digital technologies, particularly in 5G and 6G.
In FY26, Jio Platforms filed approximately 3,476 new patents, bringing its total to 6,817, with 1,009 patents granted globally. The company aims to export its technologies developed in India, including its 5G and fixed wireless access (FWA) stack.
In a recent leadership move, Akash Ambani was appointed as managing director of Jio Platforms for five years, with his remuneration increasing to ₹2.55 crore in FY26 from ₹2.31 crore in FY25.
For FY26, Jio reported a 14.7% increase in revenue from operations to ₹1.72 trillion, with a net profit of ₹30,053 crore, reflecting a growth of 15%. The company's EBITDA rose by 19% to ₹76,255 crore, driven by growth in mobility, home broadband, and enterprise services.
As of March-end, Jio's workforce numbered 74,822 employees, a decrease from 94,523 the previous year.
