Jio Platforms yesterday reported an 11.6 per cent year-on-year rise in consolidated net profit for the December quarter at Rs 5,445 crore, buoyed by robust subscriber additions although the average revenue per user remained flat sequentially.
The gross revenue of Jio Platforms, which houses Reliance Industries’ telecom and digital businesses, climbed 11.4 per cent to Rs 32,510 crore for the just-ended quarter, a PTI report stated.
Sequentially, the profit was up 2.7 per cent, while gross revenue was three per cent higher than the September quarter.
“Operating revenue (net of GST) growth continued to be driven by robust subscriber growth across mobility and homes, and benefit of mix improvement in ARPU,” PTI quoted a RIL release as saying.
Akash M Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm, said “Jio has accomplished the fastest rollout of 5G network witnessed anywhere in the world and is now available across India. JioAirFiber has seen strong initial demand and customer engagement, especially in underserved tier 3/4 towns and rural areas.
“Jio’s ahead of the curve investments on next-generation network, digital technologies and tailor-made products for all customer cohorts will ensure sustainable industry leading growth in coming years.”
Meanwhile, a Reuters report added that Jio, the first telecom operator to report results for the quarter, said revenue from operations climbed 10.3 percent in the latest quarter, snapping five straight quarters of slowing growth.
Its total expenses rose a shade under 10 percent, nearly in line with its revenue growth. Analysts had estimated revenue growth of 10.3-12 percent and a 17 percent rise in profit for the period.
Jio, like its rivals, did not hike tariffs in the quarter. They last raised prices in 2021 and the next round of increases is expected in mid-2024, after India’s general elections, according to analysts.