XML 51 R41.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.8.0.1

Share-based awards (Tables) | 12 Months Ended
--- | ---
Mar. 31, 2017
Share-based awards |
Schedule of share-based compensation expense by function |
|  | Year ended March 31, |
|  | 2015 |  | 2016 |  | 2017 |
|  | (in millions of RMB) |
Cost of revenue |  |  | 4,176 |  |  | 4,003 |  |  | 3,893 |
Product development expenses |  |  | 3,876 |  |  | 5,703 |  |  | 5,712 |
Sales and marketing expenses |  |  | 1,235 |  |  | 1,963 |  |  | 1,772 |
General and administrative expenses |  |  | 3,741 |  |  | 4,413 |  |  | 4,618 |
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Total |  |  | 13,028 |  |  | 16,082 |  |  | 15,995 |
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Options |
Share-based awards |
Summary of changes in the share options |
|  | Number of share options |  | Weighted average exercise price |  | Weighted average remaining contractual life |
|  |  |  | US$ |  | (in years) |
Outstanding at April 1, 2016 |  |  | 17,707,328 |  |  | 54.37 |  |  | 5.6 |
Granted |  |  | 275,000 |  |  | 78.71 |  |  |  |
Exercised |  |  | (5,262,533 | ) |  | 41.04 |  |  |  |
Cancelled/forfeited/expired |  |  | (1,006,792 | ) |  | 42.68 |  |  |  |
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Outstanding at March 31, 2017 (i) |  |  | 11,713,003 |  |  | 61.94 |  |  | 5.0 |
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Vested and exercisable at March 31, 2017 |  |  | 2,144,259 |  |  | 59.15 |  |  | 4.9 |
Vested and expected to vest at March 31, 2017 (ii) |  |  | 11,347,974 |  |  | 61.42 |  |  | 5.0 |
(i) | Outstanding options as of March 31, 2017 include 1,141,875 unvested options early exercised.
(ii) | Share options expected to vest are the result of applying the pre-vesting forfeiture rate assumptions to total outstanding share options, including early exercised options.
Schedule of fair value assumptions |
|  | Year ended March 31, |
|  | 2015 |  | 2016 |  | 2017 |
Risk-free interest rate (i) |  |  | 1.38% - 1.99 | % |  | 1.24% - 1.79 | % |  | 1.23% - 1.30 | %
Expected dividend yield (ii) |  |  | 0 | % |  | 0 | % |  | 0 | %
Expected life (years) (iii) |  |  | 4.25 - 5.75 |  |  | 4.25 - 5.75 |  |  | 4.38 |
Expected volatility (iv) |  |  | 35.0% - 40.8 | % |  | 33.4% - 35.7 | % |  | 31.7% - 33.2 | %
(i) | Risk-free interest rate is based on the yields of United States Treasury securities with maturities similar to the expected life of the share options in effect at the time of grant.
(ii) | Expected dividend yield is assumed to be 0% as the Company has no history or expectation of paying a dividend on its ordinary shares.
(iii) | Expected life of share options is based on the average between the vesting period and the contractual term for each grant.
(iv) | Expected volatility is assumed based on the historical volatility of the Company's comparable companies in the period equal to the expected life of each grant.
RSUs |
Share-based awards |
Summary of changes in the RSUs |
|  | Number of RSUs |  | Weighted-average grant date fair value |
|  |  |  | US$ |
Awarded and unvested at April 1, 2016 |  |  | 71,836,365 |  |  | 59.75 |
Granted |  |  | 25,796,789 |  |  | 82.41 |
Vested |  |  | (21,945,063 | ) |  | 54.74 |
Cancelled/forfeited |  |  | (6,092,372 | ) |  | 66.06 |
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Awarded and unvested at March 31, 2017 |  |  | 69,595,719 |  |  | 69.18 |
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​ | ​
Expected to vest at March 31, 2017 (i) |  |  | 60,534,893 |  |  | 67.98 |
(i) | RSUs expected to vest are the result of applying the pre-vesting forfeiture rate assumptions to total outstanding RSUs.
Partner Capital Investment Plan | Subscription rights |
Share-based awards |
Schedule of fair value assumptions |
|  | Year ended March 31, |
|  | 2015 |  | 2016 |  | 2017 |
Risk-free interest rate (i) |  |  | 1.50 | % |  | — |  |  | 1.86 | %
Expected dividend yield (ii) |  |  | 0 | % |  | — |  |  | 0 | %
Expected life (years) (iii) |  |  | 4.00 |  |  | — |  |  | 8.25 |
Expected volatility (iv) |  |  | 38.1 | % |  | — |  |  | 39.0 | %
Discount for post-vesting sale restrictions (v) |  |  | 35.0 | % |  | — |  |  | — |
(i) | Risk-free interest rate is based on the yields of United States Treasury securities with maturities similar to the expected life of the share-based awards in effect at the time of grant.
(ii) | Expected dividend yield is assumed to be 0% as the Company has no history or expectation of paying a dividend on its ordinary shares.
(iii) | Expected life of the rights is based on management's estimate on timing of redemption for ordinary shares by the participants.
(iv) | Expected volatility is assumed based on the historical volatility of the Company's comparable companies in the period equal to expected life of each right.
(v) | Discount for post-vesting sale restrictions applied on the underlying ordinary shares takes into consideration the restriction on sales of eight years.

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of the significant assumptions used during the year to estimate the fair value of share based awards other than stock options, including, but not limited to: (a) expected term of share awards and similar instruments, (b) expected volatility of the entity's comparable companies shares , (c) expected dividends, (d) risk-free rate(s), and (e) discount for post-vesting sale restrictions. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | baba_ScheduleOfShareBasedPaymentAwardStockOtherThanOptionsValuationAssumptionsTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | baba_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of the allocation of equity-based compensation costs to a given line item on the balance sheet and income statement for the period. This may include the reporting line for the costs and the amount capitalized and expensed. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (h)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5047-113901 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB Topic 14.F) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27013229&loc=d3e301413-122809 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfEmployeeServiceShareBasedCompensationAllocationOfRecognizedPeriodCostsTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of the number and weighted-average grant date fair value for restricted stock units that were outstanding at the beginning and end of the year, and the number of restricted stock units that were granted, vested, or forfeited during the year. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (c)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfShareBasedCompensationRestrictedStockUnitsAwardActivityTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of the number and weighted-average exercise prices (or conversion ratios) for share options (or share units) that were outstanding at the beginning and end of the year, vested and expected to vest, exercisable or convertible at the end of the year, and the number of share options or share units that were granted, exercised or converted, forfeited, and expired during the year. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (c)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfShareBasedCompensationStockOptionsActivityTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Tabular disclosure of the significant assumptions used during the year to estimate the fair value of stock options, including, but not limited to: (a) expected term of share options and similar instruments, (b) expected volatility of the entity's shares, (c) expected dividends, (d) risk-free rate(s), and (e) discount for post-vesting restrictions. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 718 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -Subparagraph (f)(2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6415400&loc=d3e5070-113901 + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ScheduleOfShareBasedPaymentAwardStockOptionsValuationAssumptionsTableTextBlock
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | nonnum:textBlockItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_ShareBasedCompensationArrangementByShareBasedPaymentAwardLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=baba_EmployeeStockDirectorsAndConsultantsOptionMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=us-gaap_RestrictedStockUnitsRSUMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_PlanNameAxis=baba_PartnerCapitalInvestmentPlanRelatingToOrdinarySharesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

X
- Details
Name: | us-gaap_AwardTypeAxis=baba_SubscriptionRightsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |