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Summary of significant accounting policies (Details 2) $ in Millions | 12 Months Ended |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 CNY (¥) segment | Mar. 31, 2014 CNY (¥) segment | Mar. 31, 2013 CNY (¥) segment | Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2015 CNY (¥) | Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($) | Mar. 31, 2014 CNY (¥) | Mar. 31, 2012 CNY (¥)
Segment reporting |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of operating segment | segment | 1 | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  |
Number of reportable segment | segment | 1 | 1 | 1 |  |  |  |  |
Sales and marketing expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Advertising and promotional expenses | ¥ 4,090,000,000 | ¥ 2,022,000,000 | ¥ 1,312,000,000 |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amount of cash and cash equivalents |  |  | 30,396,000,000 | $ 17,453 | ¥ 108,193,000,000 | $ 5,331 | ¥ 33,045,000,000 | ¥ 16,857,000,000
Short-term Investments [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Short-term investments- fixed deposits |  |  |  |  | 11,462,000,000 |  | 6,017,000,000 |
Short-term investments |  |  |  | $ 2,282 | 14,148,000,000 |  | 10,587,000,000 |
Loan receivables and secured borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Pledged assets amount recorded in loan receivables for secured borrowings |  |  |  |  | 0 |  | 10,217,000,000 |
Micro loans receivables |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loan receivables and secured borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Allowance for doubtful accounts relating to micro loans |  |  |  |  |  |  | 622,000,000 |
Micro loans receivables | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loan receivables and secured borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loan periods extended | 7 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Micro loans receivables | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loan receivables and secured borrowings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loan periods extended | 360 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash held in accounts managed by Alipay |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash and cash equivalents |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amount of cash and cash equivalents |  |  |  |  | 1,443,000,000 |  | 1,294,000,000 |
Short term investments held in accounts managed by Alipay |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Short-term Investments [Abstract] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Short-term investments |  |  |  |  | ¥ 1,185,000,000 |  | ¥ 300,000,000 |
Government-mandated multi-employer defined contribution plan in PRC |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other employee benefits |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Contribution amount charged to the consolidated income statements | ¥ 1,601,000,000 | ¥ 974,000,000 | ¥ 816,000,000 |  |  |  |  |

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