1. We have audited the accompanying standalone financialstatements of STL Networks Limited (“the Company"),which comprise the Standalone Balance Sheet as at March31. 2025. and the Standalone Statement of Profit and Loss(including Other Comprehensive Income), the StandaloneStatement of Changes in Equity and the StandaloneStatement of Cash Flows for the year then ended, and notesto the standalone financial statements, including materialaccounting policy information and other explanatoryinformation.
2. In our opinion and to the best of our information andaccording to the explanations given to us. the aforesaidstandalone financial statements give the informationrequired by the Companies Act, 2013 (“the Act") in themanner so required and give a true and fair view in conformitywith the accounting principles generally accepted in India,of the state of affairs of the Company as at March 31. 2025.and total comprehensive income (comprising of profit andother comprehensive income), changes in equity and itscash flows for the year then ended.
3. We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standardson Auditing (SAs) specified under Section 143(10) of theAct Our responsibilities under those Standards are furtherdescribed in the “Auditors’ Responsibilities for the Audit ofthe Standalone Financial Statements" section of our report.
We are independent of the Company in accordance withthe Code of Ethics issued by the Institute of CharteredAccountants of India together with the ethical requirementsthat are relevant to our audit of the standalone financialstatements under the provisions of the Act and theRules thereunder, and we have fulfilled our other ethicalresponsibilities in accordance with these requirements andthe Code of Ethics. We believe that the audit evidence wehave obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide abasis for our opinion.
4. We draw attention to Note 44 to the standalone financialstatements regarding the Scheme of Arrangement (the“Scheme”) between the Company. Sterlite TechnologiesLimited (“STL”) and their respective shareholders andcreditors, for transfer by way of demerger the GlobalServices Business of STL to the Company, as approved bythe National Company Law Tribunal (“NCLT”) vide its Orderdated February 14. 2025. The Scheme has been given effectto in the standalone financial statements from the beginningof the preceding period in accordance with Appendix C“Business combinations of entities under common control"to Ind AS 103 “Business Combinations" as prescribed in theNCLT approved Scheme and accordingly, the comparativefinancial information in the standalone financial statementshave been restated. Our opinion is not modified in respectof this matter.
Key audit matters
5. Key audit matters are those matters that in our professional judgement, were of most significance in our audit of the standalonefinancial statements of the current period. These matters were addressed in the context of our audit of the standalone financialstatements as a whole and in forming our opinion thereon, and we do not provide a separate opinion on these matters.
Key audit matter
How our audit addressed the key audit matter
a. Revenue recognition in respect of Telecom and Information
Our procedures included the following:
Technology (IT) network / system integration contracts
s
Understanding and evaluating the design and testing the
(Refer Notes 2.2(a). 2.4(a) and 22 to the Standalone
operating effectiveness of key controls, specific to such
Financial Statements).
customer contracts including the determination of contract
The Company enters into contracts for Telecom and IT
price, performance obligations, estimation of contract
network/systems integration, which are generally long term
costs, management reviews and approvals thereof.
in nature. The contract prices are generally fixed at contract
3
Assessing the appropriateness of the revenue recognition
inception and include elements of variable consideration such
accounting policies in line with Ind AS 115 ‘Revenue from
as liquidated damages.
Contracts with Customers'.
In respect of these contracts, the Company recognises revenue
For selected sample of contracts, our procedures included
in accordance with Ind AS 115 ‘Revenue from Contracts
the following:
with Customers' This involves application of significant
• Obtaining and examining project related documents
judgements by Management with respect to:
such as contracts, customer communications and
• Combination of contracts entered into with the same
price or scope variation orders, where applicable.
customer
• Assessing appropriateness of management's
• Identification of distinct performance obligations;
significant judgements and estimates with respect toestimated revenue from a contract including impact
• Total consideration when the contract involves variableconsideration;
on account of dispute/ delays, identification ofperformance obligation, allocation of consideration
• Allocation of consideration to identified performance
to identified performance obligation and costs to
obligations; and
complete.
• Recognition of revenue over a period of time or at a point
• Obtaining the revenue recognition calculations, testing
in time, based on timing when control is transferred to
the mathematical accuracy of the cost to complete
customer.
calculations and re-performing the calculation of
Further, for contracts where revenue is recognised over a
revenue recognised during the year based on the
period of time, the Company makes estimates which impact
percentage of completion.
the revenue recognition. Such estimates include, but are not
• For costs incurred to date, verifying relevant
limited to:
supporting documents and performing cut off
• costs to complete.
procedures.
• contract risks, and
• Evaluating the management's assessment of
• variable consideration like liquidated damages anddisputes related to performance and contractual claims.
recoverability of variable consideration (claims onaccount of scope change/ price changes) by reviewingthe contractual terms, customer communications and
Recognition of contract revenue involves determination of
past trends, wherever considered necessary.
percentage of completion of the project. The contract revenue
• In case of disputes, reading of the related contract
is measured based on the proportion of contract costs
terms and communications with the customers to
incurred for work performed till date relative to the estimated
assess the likelihood of availability of contractual
total contract costs.
remedies including inquiring with the inhouse legal
For ongoing contracts, management re-assesses the above
counsel regarding disputes, status of the disputed
estimates at each reporting date taking into account expected
dues and reviewing and discussing the legal opinions
delays in completion of the performance obligations, cost
obtained by the management with the external legal
escalations and variable consideration. In case of disputes.
counsels, wherever considered necessary.
the Company considers interpretation of contractual terms.
Testing of journal entries for unusual revenue transactions.
project status, possibility of settlement, counter-claims, latest
if any.
discussions, correspondence and legal opinions, whereverapplicable.
Assessing adequacy of disclosures in the standalonefinancial statements.
We considered this to be a key audit matter as it requiresmanagement to exercise judgement and therefore could besubject to misstatement due to fraud or error.
b.
Recoverability of contract assets and trade receivables
Our audit procedures included
(Refer Notes 22(f). 2.4(e). 10 and 12 to the Standalone
c
Evaluating the design and testing the operating
effectiveness of the key controls over the assessment of
The Company has trade receivables and contract assets
recoverability of contract assets and trade receivables.
amounting to INR 903.94 crores and INR 1.226.65 crores as at
Understanding and evaluating the accounting policy of the
March 31. 2025, respectively.
Company.
The Company recognises revenue from contracts for Telecomand Information Technology (IT) network / system integrationover time and assesses the credit risk of each customer
Understanding the reasons for aged/ overdue balancesincluding factors like project status and contractualterms through discussions with the management and
individually based on its assessment of the overall projectstatus, past history, latest discussions/ correspondence withthe customers, disputes and legal opinions for any indications
corroborating by review of correspondences with thecustomers and obtaining management representationswhere necessary.
of credit risk.
Assessing the appropriateness and completeness of theassumptions used by the management in determining
In respect of the projects where progress is slow or are
the expected credit loss as p>er the principles of Ind AS
under arbitration process due to dispute with customer, the
109 'Financial Instruments" by considering credit risk of
management exercises judgement in assessing recoverability
customers, cash collection, correspondences with the
of these receivables and impact of delays.
customers, etc.
In view of management judgement involved and considering
Inquiring with the Company's inhouse legal counsel
the nature and extent of audit procedures to assess the
regarding the status of disputes and disputed dues and
recoverability of receivables, we have determined this to be a
perusing the external legal opinions wherever obtained by
key audit matter.
the management.
Assessing adequacy of the disclosures in the standalonefinancial statements.
c.
Impairment assessment of
• carrying value of investment in STL UK Holdco Limited
Understanding and evaluating the design and testing
• loans given to STL UK Holdco Limited and Sterlite
of operating effectiveness of key controls around
Technologies UK Ventures Limited; and
management's assessment of impairment of investments.
• financial guarantee given to the bank for loan taken by
loans and guarantees;
STL UK Holdco Limited
(Refer Notes 2.2 (0.2.4 (c). 2.4 (d). 6 and 7 to the StandaloneFinancial Statements).
Evaluating the information based on which the impairmentindicators are identified such as financial conditions,orders in hand and market conditions in which theseentities operate;
The networth of STL UK Holdco Limited and Sterlite
With the involvement of auditor's experts where necessary.
Technologies UK Ventures Limited is eroded as at March31. 2025. due to losses incurred. The carrying amount of
assessing appropriateness of the valuation methodologyused and evaluating the reasonableness of the key
investments in equity shares of and loans granted to STL UKHoldco Limited as at March 31. 2025 amounted to INR 25.75crores and INR 57.16 crores. respectively Further, the carryingamount of loans granted to Sterlite Technologies UK Ventures
assumptions used in determination of discounted cashflows such as discount rates, terminal growth rate, salesgrowth rate. EBITDA, etc.
Limited as at March 31.2025. amounted to INR 260.34 crores
Evaluating the cash flow forecasts by comparing themto budgets, actual past results and our understanding
The Company accounts for investments in subsidiaries at cost(less accumulated impairment, if any) and tests the carryingamounts for impairment by making an estimate of therecoverable amount, being the higher of fair value less coststo sell and value in use. based on the value in use approach
of internal and external factors affecting the Company'sbusiness:
Testing the mathematical accuracy of the underlyingcalculations;
determined using discounted forecast cash flow model
Performing sensitivity analysis over key assumptions andevaluating whether any reasonably foreseeable change in
The discounted cash flow model involves judgements with
assumptions could lead to impairment;
certain key inputs like future cashflows, discount rates.
Evaluating management's assessment of credit risk and
terminal growth rate, economic factors etc incorporated in
appropriateness of information used in the estimation of
the valuation..
expected credit loss;
For assessment of imjaairment loss on loans given and
Assessing the adequacy of disclosures in the standalone
financial guarantee, the management applies the principlesof Ind AS 109 "Financial Instruments" to determine whetherany provision for expected credit losses OECL’) is required,considering the expected manner of recovery over a periodand other variables considered in the ECL model. Themanagement reviews the expected credit loss on these loansby assessing the respective entities' ability to repay the loansand guaranteed amounts.
financial statements.
We determined this to be a key audit matter due to significantmanagement judgement and estimates involved in estimationof the recoverable amount.
6. The Company's Board of Directors is responsible for theother information. The other information comprises theinformation included in the Annual Report, but doesnot include the standalone financial statements and ourauditor's report thereon. The Annual Report is expectedto be made available to us after the date of this auditor’sreport.
Our opinion on the standalone financial statements doesnot cover the other information and we will not express anyform of assurance conclusion thereon.
In connection with our audit of the standalone financialstatements, our responsibility is to read the otherinformation identified above when it becomes availableand. in doing so. consider whether the other informationis materially inconsistent with the standalone financialstatements or our knowledge obtained in the audit, orotherwise appears to be materially misstated.
When we read the Annual Report, if we conclude thatthere is a material misstatement therein, we are required tocommunicate the matter to those charged with governanceand take appropriate action as applicable under therelevant laws and regulations.
7. The Company's Board of Directors is responsible for thematters stated in Section 134(5) of the Act with respectto the preparation of these standalone financial statementsthat give a true and fair view of the financial position,financial performance, changes in equity and cash flows ofthe Company in accordance with the accounting principlesgenerally accepted in India, including the Indian AccountingStandards specified under Section 133 of the Act. Thisresponsibility also includes maintenance of adequateaccounting records in accordance with the provisions ofthe Act for safeguarding of the assets of the Company andfor preventing and detecting frauds and other irregularities;selection and application of appropriate accountingpolicies; making judgments and estimates that arereasonable and prudent; and design, implementation andmaintenance of adequate internal financial controls, thatwere operating effectively for ensuring the accuracy andcompleteness of the accounting records, relevant to thepreparation and presentation of the standalone financialstatements that give a true and fair view and are free frommaterial misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.
8 In preparing the standalone financial statements. Board ofDirectors is responsible for assessing the Company's abilityto continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable,matters related to going concern and using the goingconcern basis of accounting unless Board of Directors eitherintends to liquidate the Company or to cease operations, orhas no realistic alternative but to do so.
9. Those Board of Directors are also responsible for overseeingthe Company's financial reporting process.
10. Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance aboutwhether the standalone financial statements as a wholeare free from material misstatement, whether due to fraudor error, and to issue an auditors' report that includes ouropinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurancebut is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordancewith SAs will always detect a material misstatement when it
exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and areconsidered material if. individually or in the aggregate, theycould reasonably be expected to influence the economicdecisions of users taken on the basis of these standalonefinancial statements.
11. As part of an audit in accordance with SAs. we exerciseprofessional judgement and maintain professionalskepticism throughout the audit. We also:
• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatementof the standalone financial statements, whether due tofraud or error, design and perform audit proceduresresponsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidencethat is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basisfor our opinion. The risk of not detecting a materialmisstatement resulting from fraud is higher than forone resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion,forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, orthe override of internal control.
• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevantto the audit in order to design audit procedures thatare appropriate in the circumstances. Under Section143(3)(i) of the Act. we are also responsible forexpressing our opinion on whether the Company hasadequate internal financial controls with referenceto standalone financial statements in place and theoperating effectiveness of such controls.
• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policiesused and the reasonableness of accounting estimatesand related disclosures made by management.
• Conclude on the appropriateness of management'suse of the going concern basis of accounting and.based on the audit evidence obtained, whethera material uncertainty exists related to events orconditions that may cast significant doubt on theCompany's ability to continue as a going concern. Ifwe conclude that a material uncertainty exists, weare required to draw attention in our auditor’s reportto the related disclosures in the standalone financialstatements or. if such disclosures are inadequate, tomodify our opinion. Our conclusions are based on theaudit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor'sreport. However, future events or conditions may causethe Company to cease to continue as a going concern
• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and contentof the standalone financial statements, including thedisclosures, and whether the standalone financialstatements represent the underlying transactions andevents in a manner that achieves fair presentation.
12. We communicate with those charged with governanceregarding, among other matters, the planned scope andtiming of the audit and significant audit findings, includingany significant deficiencies in internal control that weidentify during our audit.
13. We also provide those charged with governance witha statement that we have complied with relevant ethicalrequirements regarding independence, and to communicatewith them all relationships and other matters that mayreasonably be thought to bear on our independence, andwhere applicable, related safeguards.
14. From the matters communicated with those charged withgovernance, we determine those matters that were ofmost significance in the audit of the standalone financialstatements of the current period and are therefore the keyaudit matters. We describe these matters in our auditors'report unless law or regulation precludes public disclosureabout the matter or when, in extremely rare circumstances,we determine that a matter should not be communicatedin our report because the adverse consequences of doing
so would reasonably be expected to outweigh the publicinterest benefits of such communication.
15. As required by the Companies (Auditor’s Report) Order.2020 (“the Order”), issued by the Central Governmentof India in terms of sub-section (11) of Section 143 of theAct. we give in the Annexure B a statement on the mattersspecified in paragraphs 3 and 4 of the Order, to the extentapplicable.
16. As required by Section 143(3) of the Act. we report that:
(a) We have sought and obtained all the information andexplanations which to the best of our knowledge andbelief were necessary for the purposes of our audit
(b) In our opinion, proper books of account as required bylaw have been kept by the Company so far as it appearsfrom our examination of those books, except that thebackup of certain books of account and other booksand papers maintained in electronic mode has notbeen maintained on a daily basis on servers physicallylocated in India during the year and the matters statedin paragraph 16(h)(vi) below on reporting under Rule11(g) of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules. 2014(as amended).
(c) The Standalone Balance Sheet, the StandaloneStatement of Profit and Loss (including othercomprehensive income), the Standalone Statement ofChanges in Equity and the Standalone Statement ofCash Flows dealt with by this Report are in agreementwith the books of account
(d) In our opinion, the aforesaid standalone financialstatements comply with the Indian AccountingStandards specified under Section 133 of the Act.
(e) On the basis of the written representations receivedfrom the directors as on March 31.2025. taken on recordby the Board of Directors, none of the directors isdisqualified as on March 31.2025. from being appointedas a director in terms of Section 164(2) of the Acl
(0 With respect to the maintenance of accounts and othermatters connected therewith, reference is made to ourremarks in paragraph 16(b) above
(g) With respect to the adequacy of the internal financialcontrols with reference to financial statements of theCompany and the operating effectiveness of suchcontrols, refer to our separate Report in “Annexure A".
(h) With respect to the other matters to be includedin the Auditors' Report in accordance with Rule 11of the Companies (Audit and Auditors) Rules, 2014(as amended), in our opinion and to the best of ourinformation and according to the explanations given tous:
i. The Company has disclosed the impact of pendinglitigations on its financial position in its standalonefinancial statements - Refer Note 36 to thestandalone financial statements:fi. The Company was not required to recognise aprovision as at March 31. 2025 under the applicablelaw or Indian Accounting Standards, as it does nothave any material foreseeable losses on long-termcontract The Company did not have any derivativecontracts as at March 31. 2025.
iii. There were no amounts which were requiredto be transferred to the Investor Education andProtection Fund by the Company during the yearended March 31. 2025.
iv. (a) The management has represented that.
to the best of its knowledge and belief, asdisclosed in Note 7 to the standalone financialstatements, no funds have been advanced orloaned or invested (either from borrowedfunds or share premium or any other sourcesor kind of funds) by the Company to or inany other person(s) or entity(ies), includingforeign entities (“Intermediaries''), with theunderstanding, whether recorded in writingor otherwise, that the Intermediary shall,whether directly or indirectly, lend or investin other persons or entities identified inany manner whatsoever by or on behalf ofthe Company (''Ultimate Beneficiaries") orprovide any guarantee, security or the like onbehalf of the Ultimate Beneficiaries:
(b) The management has represented that,to the best of its knowledge and belief, asdisclosed in the Note 16 to the standalonefinancial statements, no funds have beenreceived by the Company from any person(s)or entity(ies), including foreign entities(“Funding Parties"), with the understanding,whether recorded in writing or otherwise,that the Company shall, whether directly orindirectly, lend or invest in other persons orentities identified in any manner whatsoeverby or on behalf of the Funding Party(“Ultimate Beneficiaries”) or provide anyguarantee, security or the like on behalf ofthe Ultimate Beneficiaries; and
(c) Based on such audit procedures that weconsidered reasonable and appropriate inthe circumstances, nothing has come to ournotice that has caused us to believe that therepresentations under sub-clause (a) and (b)contain any material misstatement
v. The Company has not declared or paid any dividendduring the year.
vi. Based on our examination, which included testchecks, the Company has used multiple accountingsoftwares (including the softwares maintainedby Sterlito Technologies Limited for recordingtransactions pertaining to Global Services Businesstransferred to the Company pursuant to Scheme ofarrangement referred in Note 44 to the standalonefinancial statements) for maintaining its books ofaccount which have a feature of recording audit trail(edit log) facility and that has operated throughoutthe year for all relevant transactions recorded in thesoftware, except for:
(a) in respect of the core accounting software,the audit trail feature is not maintained incase of modification by certain users withspecific access at application level and also,in case for direct database changes;
(b) another accounting software did not havethe feature of recording audit trail.
During the course of performing our procedures,other than the aforesaid instances of audit trail notmaintained where the question of our commentingdoes not arise, we did not notice any instance ofaudit trail feature being tampered with. Further,the audit trail, to the extent maintained in the prioryear, has been preserved by the Company as perthe statutory requirements for record retention.
17. The Company has not paid any remuneration to its directorsduring the year. Accordingly, reporting under Section
197(16) of the Act is not applicable to the Company.
For Price Waterhouse Chartered Accountants LLPFirm Registration Number: 0127S4N/N500016
Sachin ParekhPartner
Membership Number 107038UDIN: 25107038BMOZGV6207Place: MumbaiDate: June 30, 2025