Latest news with #RelianceJio
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
a day ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Vodafone Idea Q4 results: Loss narrows 6.62% to ₹7,166 crore, ARPU at ₹164
Vodafone Idea (Vi) on Friday reported a net loss of Rs 7,166 crore, narrowing 6.62 per cent in the fourth quarter (January–March) of FY25 from Rs 7,674 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous financial year, aided by lower expenses. On a sequential basis, however, the net loss widened by 8.42 per cent from Rs 6,609 crore in the preceding quarter. The telco's finance cost rose to Rs 6,471 crore, up 3 per cent from Rs 6,280 crore in the same quarter last year. At its Friday meeting, Vi's board approved the raising of Rs 20,000 crore through a follow-on public offer (FPO), private placement including qualified institutional placement (QIP), or any other permissible mode. The average revenue per user (ARPU) for the quarter rose to Rs 164, slightly up from Rs 163, Rs 156 and Rs 146 in the preceding three quarters, respectively. The company said the improvement was driven by tariff hikes and subscriber upgrades. Vi's 4G subscriber base grew for the eleventh consecutive quarter, reaching 126.4 million—up from 125.6 million, 124.7 million, and 122.6 million in the preceding quarters. However, the company continued to lose customers to larger rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, ending Q4 with 198.2 million total subscribers and a net loss of 1.6 million users. This was an improvement from a loss of 5.2 million users in Q3. Fundraise Approved The board has approved the issue of equity shares or 'any other eligible instruments or securities including securities convertible into equity shares, Global Depository Receipts, American Depository Receipts or bonds including foreign currency convertible bonds, convertible debentures, warrants, non-convertible securities and/or composite issue of non-convertible debentures along with warrants'. Vi had completed India's largest FPO at Rs 18,000 crore in April last year and conducted multiple rounds of preferential share issues to promoters and vendors Nokia and Ericsson in subsequent months. Promoters also infused Rs 4,000 crore. Most recently, in January this year, it raised Rs 1,980 crore through a preferential issue to entities belonging to promoter Vodafone Group Plc.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
India's telecom space urgently needs a new story
India registered its most significant surge in new mobile connections during the financial year 2010-2011 (April 1, 2010, to March 31, 2011). During this period, the country's telecom sector added a remarkable 227.3 million new wireless subscribers. As I read through the latest numbers, this is the landscape I was contextualising against — India closed April 2025 with 1.2 billion wireless subscribers, the new definition of this now including mobile connections as well as 5G fixed wireless access, or FWA). That's up from 1,163.76 million a month prior. Compare that with 1,170.53 million wireless subscribers in March 2024, and we actually register an annual decline of 6.77 million subscribers. These are undoubtedly big numbers, and creditable to have reached this platform. But are we positioning ourselves to plateau, or finding the next growth story? There is no political or ideological angle to this thought but is purely a story of India's changing consumption patterns. It may be prudent for telecom companies and regulators to take cognisance. For a majority of India's user base, they have a primary SIM, even a secondary SIM, and perhaps even a third data connection for a tablet. They will, in all likelihood, not add a fourth connection to their kitty in the foreseeable future. The prepaid and postpaid price hikes in the summer of last year may have acted as inadvertent thrust reversers to something that was already slowing down. The top 3 mobile service providers control over 92% of the wireless market — Reliance Jio with 476.58 million users (50.53% market share), Bharti Airtel with 289.31 million (30.68%) and a fast-declining Vodafone Idea with 125.63 million users (13.32%). The latest TRAI data, released a day ago, gives me three main themes. There is rural momentum, and that's where the next growth phase will be based. The 5G FWA is gaining traction, and now it is up to the likes of Airtel and Jio to position it as a value proposition. There is also geographical concentration which must be evened out, alongside a trend of saturation, if growth must pick up again. Rural areas are outpacing urban growth (0.37% vs 0.16%), suggesting successful digital inclusion efforts. More to that point, a broader trend of 'Circle C' is clear — the strongest wireless growth of 0.43%, compared with the comparatively more technologically savvy users in Circle A (0.29%) and Circle B (0.16%). In case you're wondering what comprises Circle C, those are regions of the country that are comparatively less urbanised and perhaps have lesser purchasing power (that is subjective) — Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand, Odisha and Jammu & Kashmir. More to that point, the geographical disparities. Extreme variations in tele-density (for example, Delhi at 276.75% vs Bihar at 57.37%) highlight what is potentially a digital divide challenge. Tariff hikes will not be useful in reducing this chasm, and which makes us ask a simple question — do telecom operators wish to increase ARPU (average revenue per user) from users in the already tele-density leading states (Delhi 276.75%, Himachal Pradesh 120.68% and Kerala 119.75%), or keep prices lower to spread growth across? Less users spending more, or more users perhaps spending less, to achieve the same result on the balance sheet? Speaking of balance sheets. With 10.79% monthly growth, 5G FWA is emerging as a significant broadband alternative, particularly important given the overall broadband subscriber decline. Total wireless (5G FWA) subscribers increased from 6.77 million at the end of March 2025 to 7.50 million at the end of April 2025 — TRAI points to subscriptions in urban and rural areas at 4.72 million and 2.77 million, respectively. This has to be put in perspective with another important data trend — a decline in broadband subscribers, to the tune of 1.03 million. Airtel with the Xstream AirFiber and Reliance with the Jio AirFiber, have products in this space. But I have always believed neither has done enough to build a unique positioning for their fixed wireless products. For both companies, the 5G FWA seems more of a convenient alternative to push consumers looking for a broadband connection in areas where a wireline isn't feasible or cost effective. The parity in pricing for the most part with wired broadband lends credence to that perspective. Something has to change if FWA must become a driver for growth. And going by the numbers, India's telecom space needs all the sparks they can find. It will be a shame if a multi-decade success story till 2025 is left to plateau, not for the want of a market, but lack of innovation or thought. Vishal Mathur is the technology editor for HT. Tech Tonic is a weekly column that looks at the impact of personal technology on the way we live, and vice-versa. The views expressed are personal. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Join as partners in P4
Nellore: Nellore Municipal Commissioner YO Nandan has appealed philanthropists to extend their cooperation to the government by joining as partners in P-4 programme of State government's prestigious Vision 2047. In response to the call given by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on P4 programme, representatives from corporate organisations met Municipal Commissioner Nandan on Wednesday. Nandan said that the government is proposed to construct parks, schools, public toilets, arranging streetlights, establishing Solar Panels at the areas of which poor people living in slum areas in the city. Representatives from SEEL Company, Simhapuri Estate Developers, Reliance Jio Kameswara Rao, Chennareddy, Vishnu respectively, City Planner Hima Bindhu and others were present.
India.com
3 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani son Akash Ambani visits Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi, donates....
Mukesh Ambani and Nita Ambani son Akash Ambani visits Kashi Vishwanath Dham in Varanasi, donates.... Akash Ambani, the eldest son of business tycoon Mukesh Ambani and Chairman of Reliance Jio, on Wednesday visited the holy city of Varanasi. During his visit, he offered prayers at the famous Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple and participated in the grand Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat. As soon as Akash arrived at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, he first bowed to the temple's towering spire. He then entered the sanctum sanctorum (garbhagriha) and spent around 10 minutes in deep prayer. He performed jalabhishek (offering water) and dugdhabhishek (offering milk) on the Shivling. The temple priests guided him through a dedicated worship ceremony. The temple priests guided him through a traditional Shodashopachara ritual, a sixteen-step worship process. He prayed with full devotion and received blessings from Lord Shiva. After the puja, he bowed respectfully to the temple's main spire and also visited several other small shrines within the temple complex. As a token of appreciation, the temple authorities gifted him a Rudraksha mala and prasadam (holy offering). Speaking to the temple staff, Akash expressed his deep spiritual experience, saying, 'Coming to Kashi, I felt a strong sense of spiritual energy.' He also mentioned that the recent wedding of Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant was completed smoothly with the blessings of Baba Vishwanath. According to media reports, Akash donated more than Rs. 1 crore to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Trust. Present during his visit were temple CEO Vishwabhushan Mishra, SDM Shambhu Sharan, and several priests. After visiting the temple, Akash went to Dashashwamedh Ghat, where he took part in the sacred Ganga Aarti. Before the Aarti, priests performed a traditional Vedic ritual to worship River Ganga. The members of Ganga Seva Nidhi, including president Sushant Mishra, treasurer Ashish Tiwari, and secretary Hanuman Yadav, welcomed him with an angavastram (a traditional shawl), prasadam, and a memento. They also invited him to return with his entire family. To end the evening, Akash enjoyed a peaceful boat ride on the Ganga, taking in the spiritual atmosphere of the ancient city. About Akash Ambani Akash Ambani is the eldest son of India's top industrialist Mukesh Ambani. According to Jio Institute, he serves as the Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited. He is also a board member of Reliance Retail Ventures Limited. A passionate sports enthusiast, Akash is the co-owner of the IPL team Mumbai Indians, one of the league's most successful franchises.
India.com
5 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Secret of Mukesh Ambani's success revealed! Asia's richest man earns massive money from this business, it is…
Mukesh Ambani has taken Reliance Industries to the top level in Indian business. Reliance has many companies under its umbrella but there is one company which helps them to earn profits faster than other companies. It is Reliance Jio which changed the telecom market by offering affordable plans and free data. Now it is Mukesh Ambani's most profitable business. It generates fastest revenue and customer base rapidly and also brought digital transformation in India. Reliance Jio Reliance Jio was launched in 2016, disrupted the market with cheap data and calls and became a game-changer. Today, it has 490 million users and became a telecom leader. In Q2 FY25, Jio's profit was Rs 6,231 crore. High-speed 5G and budget-friendly plans took Jio into every household. It also brings a good portion of revenue for Reliance. Reliance Jio's revenue was Rs 31,709 crore. Jio's 5G rollout has helped India to become a digital powerhouse. Jio's platforms like JioMart and JioCinema kept Reliance at the top of the market. Reliance's Strategy Reliance's profits aren't limited to telecom alone. The company is also a leader in retail and energy sectors. Reliance Retail's 19,000 stores generated Rs 3.06 lakh crore in revenue in and Metro India also led its retail business. New energy projects like solar and hydrogen will also generate revenue in the future.
