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Informist, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026

 

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--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec consol net profit INR 66.31 bln 
--Analysts saw Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec consol net profit at INR 73.08 bln 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec consol revenue INR 539.82 bln 
--Analysts saw Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec consol revenue at INR 539.34 bln 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec consol PAT INR 66.31 bln vs INR 67.92 bln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec consol sales INR 539.82 bln vs INR 521.45 bln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec net profit includes one-time cost INR 2.57 bln 
--Bharti Airtel Apr-Dec consol PAT INR 193.70 bln vs INR 225.34 bln yr ago
--Bharti Airtel Apr-Dec consol sales INR 1.56 tln vs INR 1.25 tln yr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec profit excluding exceptional cost INR 68.87 bln 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec India mobile ARPU INR 259 vs INR 245 year ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec consol EBITDA INR 311.44 bln vs INR 299.19 bln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec consol EBIT INR 176.54 bln vs INR 166.69 bln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec consol EBIT margin 32.7% vs 32.0% qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec India revenue INR 392.26 bln vs INR 386.90 qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec India EBITDA margin 60.4% vs 60.0% qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec India revenue INR 392.26 bln vs INR 386.90 qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec India EBITDA margin 60.4% vs 60.0% qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Apr-Dec PAT INR 193.70 bln vs INR 225.34 bln yr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec India EBIT INR 125.92 bln vs INR 121.92 bln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec India EBIT margin 32.1% vs 31.5% qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec consol capex $1.32 bln 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec India capex $1.04 bln vs $1.11 bln quarter go 
--Bharti Airtel consol customer base 645.31 mln on Dec 31 vs 623.55 mln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec net debt INR 1.83 tln vs INR 1.95 tln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel India customer base 465.92 mln on Dec 31 vs 449.74 mln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Africa customer base 179.39 mln on Dec 31 vs 173.82 mln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Q3 India mobile svcs sale INR 286.5 bln vs INR 281.2 bln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Q3 Airtel biz revenue INR 53.53 bln vs INR 52.76 bln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Q3 Africa mobile svcs sale INR 150 bln vs INR 137 bln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Q3 passive infra revenue INR 81.8 bln vs INR 82.2 bln qtr ago 
--Bharti Airtel Oct-Dec India mobile data usage/user 29.8 GB/mo, up 5% QoQ 
--Bharti Airtel Q3 Africa sales $1.59 bln, up 24.7% YoY in constant currency

 

By Shakshi Jain

 

NEW DELHI – Telecommunications major Bharti Airtel Ltd. Thursday posted a marginal sequential decline in its consolidated bottom line for the December quarter because of a one-time cost on account of changes prompted by the new labour codes. As a result, the company's bottom line fell again after having reported healthy double-digit sequential growth for the September quarter. Meanwhile, its consolidated top line for the quarter recorded a low-single-digit rise sequentially. This rise was slower than in the trailing quarter.

 

The telecom player's bottom line for the December quarter missed the Street's expectation by a wide margin; however, its top line managed to surpass the consensus estimate by a small margin.

 

Bharti Airtel's concolidated bottom line for the December quarter declined 2.4% sequentially and over 55% on year to INR 66.31 billion. The bottom line received support from a slower increase in total expenses for the quarter compared to the rise in top line; however, a one-time cost of INR 2.57 billion due to an increase in provisions for gratuity and compensated absences spoiled the show. In the absence of this one-time cost, the company's consolidated net profit for the quarter would have been about INR 68.87 billion. This, however, would have still been far below the Street's expectation. Analysts' consensus estimate had pegged the company's consolidated net profit for the reporting quarter at INR 73.08 billion.

 

Bharti Airtel's consolidated revenue from operations for the reporting quarter rose 3.5% sequentially and nearly 20% on year to INR 539.82 billion. This is marginally higher than the Street's expectation of INR 539.34 billion. The revenue growth in the December quarter was "driven by continued growth in India and solid performance from Africa", the company said in a press release.

 

Bharti Airtel's overall customer base increased to 645.31 million at the end of the December quarter from 623.55 million at the end of the trailing quarter. The company's consolidated capital expenditure in the quarter rose slightly to $1.32 billion from $1.30 billion in the September quarter. On the other hand, its consolidated net debt moderated to INR 1.83 trillion from INR 1.95 trillion in the trailing quarter.

 

The telecom giant's consolidated earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation for the December quarter improved to INR 311.44 billion from INR 299.19 in the trailing quarter. Its consolidated EBIT rose to INR 176.54 billion from INR 166.69 billion for the September quarter. The company's consolidated EBIT margin for the December quarter expanded by 70 basis points sequentially to 32.7%.

 

Bharti Airtel's total expenses for the reporting quarter rose 2.7% sequentially and nearly 13% annually to INR 231.99 billion. Licence fees and spectrum charges rose 0.6% sequentially to INR 38.46 billion. Sales and marketing expenses grew 7.7% sequentially to INR 34.27 billion. The company's other expenses rose nearly 15% on quarter to INR 26.20 billion and the employee benefit expense increased 5.4% to INR 19.58 billion. Overall, a 2.4% sequential decline in the company's network operating expenses to INR 98.79 billion limited the rise in total expenditure for the December quarter.

 

For the nine months ended Dec. 31, the company's consolidated bottom line fell 14% on year to INR 193.70 billion while its top line rose over 24% to INR 1.56 trillion.

 

SEGMENT CONTRIBUTION

Revenue from the company's India mobile services segment for the December quarter rose nearly 2% sequentially to INR 286.52 billion. It accounted for 53% of the company's overall revenue from operations. Overall, Bharti Airtel's India revenue for the quarter rose to INR 392.26 billion from INR 386.90 billion in the trailing quarter, according to the release.

 

The rise in India mobile revenue was "driven by ARPU (average revenue per user) improvement and strong growth in smartphone data customers", the company said. The company's India mobile average revenue per user increased to INR 259 in the December quarter from INR 245 a year ago. Its customer base in India increased to 465.92 million from 449.74 million in the September quarter. Mobile data consumption increased to 29.8 gigabytes per month per customer during the December quarter, up 5% on quarter.

 

"We continue to fortify our leadership in postpaid segment with net additions of 0.62 Mn (million) customers to reach total customer base of 28.1 Mn. Smartphone data customers saw an increase of 20.8 Mn over last one year, 7.7% increase YoY (year-on-year)," the company said.

 

Bharti Airtel's India EBITDA margin expanded by 40 basis points sequentially in the three months ended Dec. 31 to 60.4%. Its EBIT improved to INR 125.92 billion from INR 121.92 billion in the trailing quarter, but the EBIT margin also contracted by 40 bps sequentially to 32.1%. Bharti Airtel incurred capital expenditure of INR 92.49 billion for its India business in the quarter.

 

The Africa mobile services segment contributed INR 150.10 billion to the company's overall top line for the December quarter, up nearly 10% on quarter. The revenue of the company's Africa business grew 24.7% on year in constant currency terms to $1.59 billion. The company incurred capital expenditure of INR 25.37 billion for its Africa business in the quarter under review. Its customer base on the continent as of Dec. 31 stood at 179.39 million, up from 173.82 million a quarter ago.

 

The passive infrastructure business of the company contributed INR 81.80 billion in revenue for the December quarter, down from INR 82.22 billion in the trailing quarter. The revenue from the Airtel Business segment increased to 53.53 billion from INR 52.76 billion a quarter ago.

 

The revenue of the homes services segment increased to INR 20.01 billion in the December quarter, from INR 18.65 billion in the September quarter. Bharti Airtel added 1.2 million customers in the quarter to reach a total customer base of 13.1 million in the segment, it said. 

 

Thursday, shares of Bharti Airtel ended 1.7% lower on the National Stock Exchange at INR 1,992.40. The company announced its quarterly results after the market closed.  End

 

US$1 = INR 90.35

 

Edited by Rajeev Pai

 

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