The first earnings after listing
Jio Platforms closed its first quarter as a listed company with consolidated net profit of Rs 8,387 crore, a 14% rise from Rs 7,379 crore a year earlier. Operating revenue climbed 11% to Rs 40,475 crore, helped by subscriber additions, higher average revenue per user and growth in other digital businesses. With Rs 978 crore of other income, total income stood at Rs 41,453 crore.
The listing context matters. Jio Platforms raised Rs 30,188 crore in its October initial public offering and listed at Rs 1,358, a 21% premium over its Rs 1,119 issue price. This is the first public proof point after that debut.
What the audience numbers say
The Meta- and Google-backed company added 9.1 million subscribers in the quarter, taking its total customer base to 542.4 million. Its 5G subscriber count crossed 300 million, up 66 million over the previous 12 months, and the company calls itself the largest 5G operator outside China.
Usage is climbing just as fast. Monthly data use rose to 44.2 GB per customer from 38.7 GB a year earlier, and monthly ARPU reached Rs 218.8. Fixed broadband ended the quarter at 30 million subscribers, with 15.1 million of those on Jio AirFiber.
For streaming and TV buyers, these are distribution signals. More than half a billion mobile connections and a growing fixed-wireless base widen the addressable market for high-definition streaming and CTV-style viewing, especially outside the metros.
Costs and the profit line
Total expenses were Rs 30,194 crore, up 12% from Rs 27,049 crore a year earlier. The main heads were:
- Network operating expenses: Rs 8,813 crore, up 3%.
- Licence fees and spectrum charges: Rs 3,159 crore, up 8%.
- Other expenses: Rs 4,254 crore, up 20%.
The cost base is growing, but subscriber additions and higher ARPU are keeping the profit line ahead.
Why this matters for screen businesses
Akash Ambani, managing director of Jio Platforms, framed the quarter around 5G, broadband and digital services. “This quarter’s results continue to reflect the strength of our 5G network, and the growing reach of our broadband and digital services,” he said.
Jio has also signalled where some of its next bets sit: a network-based Jio AI Call Agent for calls, summaries, food ordering and cab booking, and JioFrames AI smart glasses. These are not streaming platforms, but they point to a future where voice, wearables and AI sit on the same data pipes that carry video.
Media planners should read this less as a telecom result and more as a reach and bandwidth story: the screen audience is growing, it is consuming more data per month, and it is moving toward broadband devices that make premium OTT subscriptions more viable.
Source: MEDIANAMA
