Reliance Industries, paid less tax than a year ago, while tax payments by State Bank of India, the country's largest lender, rose, according an income tax official who declined to be named.

Reliance Industries, the biggest private sector firm, paid 3.15 billion rupees as advance tax in April-June compared with 3.4 billion in the year ago period, the official said.

SBI paid an advance tax of 10.68 billion rupees compared with 6.63 billion in the first quarter of 2008, the official added.