India's second largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel reported a 37.3% year-on-year jump in first-quarter net profit to Rs 8,167.4 crore, according to Business Today. Revenue grew 18.4% to Rs 58,539 crore from Rs 49,462.6 crore in April-June 2025, supported by higher mobile tariffs, strong customer additions, and growth across its India and Africa businesses.
Financial Performance at a Glance
Business Today reported the following comparative metrics for the quarter:
| Metric | Current Quarter | Year-Ago Quarter |
|---|---|---|
| Net profit | Rs 8,167.4 crore | Rs 5,947.4 crore |
| Revenue | Rs 58,539 crore | Rs 49,462.6 crore |
| ARPU | Rs 264 | Rs 250 |
The company's average revenue per user (ARPU) rose to Rs 264 from Rs 250 a year earlier. Bharti Airtel's shares closed 0.3% higher at Rs 1,956.5 on BSE on Tuesday, even as the broader market declined 0.3%, Business Today reported.
Management Commentary
"We delivered yet another quarter of strong performance, supported by the resilience of our diversified portfolio and sharp execution across businesses," said Gopal Vittal, executive vice chairman and managing director at Bharti Airtel.
Vittal added that India revenue grew 4.2% sequentially, while the Africa business posted 5.7% constant-currency growth over the previous quarter. He said: "India Mobile achieved sequential growth of 3.8%, driven by continued portfolio mix improvement. Our postpaid strategy continues to deliver strong outcomes with highest ever customer additions of 10 lakh. We added 50 lakh smartphone customers with an industry leading ARPU of Rs 264."
Operational Metrics Across Segments
Business Today reported the following segment-level metrics for the quarter:
- India mobile business: Revenue grew 9.2% due to premiumisation.
- Smartphone data customers: Increased by 2.1 crore year-on-year and 50 lakh quarter-on-quarter, now accounting for 80% of the mobile customer base.
- Postpaid additions: Highest-ever quarterly net additions of 10 lakh.
- Data consumption: Mobile data usage grew 36% year-on-year to 34.4 GB per customer per month.
- Homes business: Revenue grew 4.4% quarter-on-quarter with 4.7 lakh customer additions, "underpinned by our focus on quality acquisitions and driving convergence," Vittal said.
- Airtel Business: Delivered 3.2% sequential revenue growth, "led by strong performance across the portfolio."
Africa Stake and Balance Sheet
During the quarter, Bharti Airtel completed a share swap transaction that raised its stake in Airtel Africa to more than 79%. Vittal described the deal as "a strong reflection of our conviction in Africa's long-term growth potential."
On the company's financial position, Vittal said: "Our balance sheet remains strong, reflecting disciplined capital allocation and focused investments to future-proof Airtel."
Market Response
Bharti Airtel's stock closed at Rs 1,956.5 on BSE, up 0.3%, while the broader market fell 0.3% on the same day, according to Business Today. The earnings come as the telecom operator continues to benefit from tariff hikes and premiumisation across its customer base, with smartphone data users now representing the majority of its mobile subscribers.
Sources:
