Higher ARPU and subscriber growth boost quarterly performance
Key Highlights
- Q1 net profit rises 12% to ₹8,167 crore.
- Revenue crosses ₹58,500 crore, beating estimates.
- ARPU improves to ₹264 on stronger monetisation.
- Mobile subscriber base expands to 37.65 crore.
- EBITDA increases to ₹33,303 crore.
- Enterprise and broadband businesses post steady growth.
- Net debt declines while capital expenditure rises sharply.
New Delhi: Telecom major Bharti Airtel delivered a strong financial performance for the first quarter of FY2026-27, reporting a nearly 12% sequential rise in consolidated net profit as improved customer monetisation and steady subscriber additions boosted earnings.
The company posted a consolidated net profit of ₹8,167 crore for the June quarter, representing an 11.5% increase over the previous quarter’s ₹7,325 crore. While the profit came in slightly below market expectations, Airtel comfortably exceeded revenue estimates.
Revenue from operations rose 5.7% quarter-on-quarter to ₹58,539 crore, supported by healthy growth across its mobile, broadband, enterprise and digital television businesses.
ARPU Continues Upward Trend
One of the biggest highlights of the quarter was the continued improvement in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), which increased to ₹264, outperforming analyst expectations.
The higher ARPU reflects the impact of tariff revisions, growing adoption of premium plans, and increased data consumption among Airtel customers. Rising ARPU remains a key indicator of improving profitability in India’s highly competitive telecom market.
India Business Remains Growth Driver
Airtel’s India mobile business continued to deliver solid growth during the quarter.
Mobile revenue increased 4% sequentially to ₹29,929 crore, while mobile EBITDA also rose 4% to ₹18,187 crore, highlighting the resilience of the company’s core telecom operations.
The company also expanded its mobile subscriber base to 37.65 crore, up from 37.32 crore in the previous quarter, reflecting continued customer additions across circles.
Broadband, Enterprise and DTH Show Stable Performance
Beyond mobile services, Airtel’s home broadband business maintained positive momentum with revenue rising 4% to ₹2,288 crore.
The enterprise segment also recorded healthy growth, with revenue increasing 3% to ₹5,665 crore, supported by rising demand for digital connectivity, cloud and enterprise communication solutions.
Meanwhile, the Direct-to-Home (DTH) business posted modest growth, with revenue increasing 4% to ₹773 crore during the quarter.
Network Investments Continue
Bharti Airtel continued investing aggressively in network expansion and digital infrastructure.
Capital expenditure surged 45% year-on-year to approximately $1.41 billion, reflecting continued investments in expanding 5G services, strengthening network capacity and improving customer experience.
At the same time, the company reduced its net debt by 4.1% sequentially to $16.7 billion, indicating continued focus on improving its balance sheet despite higher infrastructure investments.
With improving customer monetisation, expanding digital services and continued investments in next-generation networks, Airtel remains well positioned to benefit from India’s growing demand for high-speed connectivity and digital services.
