15 October,2026 07:08 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Kotak Mahindra Bank Founder Uday Kotak, Jio Platforms Ltd (JPL) Director Isha Ambani, Jio Platforms Ltd (JPL) Chairman Akash Ambani, and CEO Pankaj Pawar during the Jio Platforms IPO press conference, in Mumbai, on Thursday. PIC/PTI
Jio Platforms plans to introduce next-generation 6G connectivity through a software upgrade rather than a fresh physical infrastructure build-out, Managing Director Akash Ambani said on Thursday, outlining the company's technological roadmap at its IPO press conference.
Ambani said Jio's existing network infrastructure and proprietary core technology stack were being developed to support future technological transitions, news agency ANI reported.
"Jio's first mission is to democratize technology to benefit Indians. 6G is on our horizon. What this really means is that we will do 6G as a software upgrade rather than a new infrastructure build-out," Ambani said.
He attributed the company's readiness for future upgrades to its extensive network footprint, which includes more than 360,000 towers across India and over one million route kilometres of fibre. Ambani also said Jio had the largest spectrum bank in the industry.
Jio, which marked its 10th anniversary on September 6, has a subscriber base of 53 crore users, according to Ambani.
The company's network carries more than 60 per cent of India's digital data traffic, while customers consume an average of 43.7 GB of data per month.
Ambani said Jio customers experience average download speeds of nearly 200 Mbps, which he described as twice the speed offered by competing operators.
"Today across 53 crore Indians, we give an average download speed of almost 200 Mbps. That's twice as fast as the other operators. Our pricing per GB stands at the lowest anywhere else in the world at almost Rs 5, Rs 4.9 per GB and this is on usage," he said.
Ambani outlined four key growth areas for Jio Platforms: mobile services, home broadband, enterprise services and the international monetisation of its proprietary technology stack.
In the mobility segment, the company sees a potential market of 340 million users, comprising 100 million first-time mobile users and 240 million subscribers expected to migrate from legacy 2G networks.
Jio also plans to expand its home broadband reach from 30 million to 100 million households. Ambani said the company had developed an in-house wireless broadband solution using unlicensed spectrum to address right-of-way challenges associated with laying physical fibre.
The wireless broadband offering accounts for 40 per cent of Jio's new additions, he said.
The company is also looking to take its internally developed technology to international markets. Ambani said Jio's engineering team had filed 7,220 patents, supporting its plans to partner with telecom operators overseas.
"What we think is the end-to-end technology stack that we've created, deployed, and operate gives us the ability to partner with telecom partners across the world and really do this in a CAPEX-light manner," Ambani said.
Ambani said Jio Platforms' revenue increased from Rs 1,09,000 crore to more than Rs 1,46,000 crore over the past three years, representing a compound annual growth rate of 15.8 per cent.
The company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) exceeded Rs 76,000 crore, while its EBITDA margin reached 53.3 per cent in the first quarter of the financial year.
"The basis of our EBITDA and our EBITDA growth has been us powering 60 per cent of India's digital traffic. Today, Jio carries over 60% of India's data traffic," Ambani said.
He added that 30 per cent of revenue converted directly into free cash flow.
Jio Platforms Ltd, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), has set a price band of Rs 1,065 to Rs 1,119 per equity share for its initial public offering (IPO). The issue will open for subscription on October 21 and close on October 23.
The company plans to issue up to 27 crore fresh equity shares with a face value of Rs 10 each. Bidding by anchor investors is scheduled for October 19.
According to the exchange filing, Jio Platforms has reserved shares worth up to Rs 2,500 crore for eligible Reliance Industries shareholders and up to Rs 500 crore for eligible employees.
Employees bidding under the reserved category will receive a discount of Rs 54 per equity share. The minimum bid lot is 12 equity shares, with subsequent bids to be placed in multiples of 12 shares.
(With ANI inputs)
