NEW DELHI, INDIA: Reliance Communications reported a 61 per cent fall in quarterly profit - its 10th straight quarter of declining profit - as the country's second-biggest mobile phone operator by subscribers struggles with its heavy debt load.

Reliance Communications, controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani, said consolidated net profit fell to Rs.. 1.86 billion rupees for its fiscal third quarter ended December from Rs.. 4.80 billion rupees a year earlier.

Analysts in a Reuters poll of brokerages had, on average, expected net profit of Rs.. 1.95 billion rupees for the company, which had more than 150 million mobile customers as of December.