Bharti Airtel Reports Q2 Earnings: Profit Surges to Rs 8,651 Crore as ARPU Exceeds Jio with Focus on Premium Users
Bharti Airtel has announced impressive financial results for the September quarter of FY26, with its consolidated net profit soaring to Rs 8,651 crore, more than double the Rs 4,153.4 crore reported in the same period last year. This remarkable growth is attributed to a surge in high-value smartphone users and post-paid connections. Additionally, the company’s Africa operations also showed strong performance, contributing significantly to its overall revenue, which rose by 26% to Rs 52,145 crore.
Strong Revenue Growth
Airtel’s revenue from operations for the September quarter reached Rs 52,145 crore, marking a 26% increase from Rs 41,473.3 crore in the previous year. The company’s India revenue, which includes its share from Indus Towers, grew by 22.6% year-on-year to Rs 38,690 crore. Excluding the contribution from Indus Towers, Airtel’s domestic revenue still saw a healthy growth of 10%. Gopal Vittal, the vice-chairman and managing director of Bharti Airtel, highlighted that the India revenue, including passive infrastructure services, experienced a sequential increase of 2.9%. He emphasized the strength of Airtel’s portfolio, which has led to consistent performance in the competitive telecom market.
Performance in Africa
Airtel’s Africa segment also delivered robust results, with net income rising to Rs 969 crore. The Africa business achieved a constant currency revenue growth of 7.1%, and in rupee terms, its revenue climbed 36% year-on-year to Rs 13,679.5 crore. This growth reflects Airtel’s successful expansion strategy in the African market, where it continues to gain traction. Vittal noted that the Africa business has consistently performed well, contributing significantly to the overall growth of the company.
Customer Growth and Market Position
The telecom giant added 5.1 million smartphone customers during the quarter, alongside nearly 1 million net additions in the post-paid segment, marking one of its strongest performances in this area. Airtel’s mobile average revenue per user (ARPU) stood at Rs 256, a 10% increase from Rs 233 a year ago, surpassing Reliance Jio’s ARPU of Rs 211.4 for the same period. The company’s total customer base grew by 10.7% year-on-year to 62.35 crore, with 44.97 crore users in India. Smartphone data users increased by 2.22 crore over the past year, while mobile data consumption per customer rose by 26.6% to 28.3 GB per month.
Capital Expenditure and Financial Health
Bharti Airtel’s total capital expenditure for the quarter was Rs 11,362 crore, with Rs 9,643 crore allocated to India. Domestic capital expenditure, excluding Indus Towers’ investment, rose by 15% to Rs 7,203.3 crore compared to Rs 6,259.9 crore a year earlier. The company’s net debt decreased by 5% year-on-year to Rs 1,94,713 crore, reflecting improved financial health. Following the announcement of these results, Airtel’s shares closed 0.93% higher at Rs 2,073.75 on the Bombay Stock Exchange, indicating positive investor sentiment regarding the company’s performance.
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