Bharti Airtel reports 89% jump in second-quarter profit

• Adds 0.95m new postpaid customers in the quarter and brings its total base to 27.5m.
• Number of smartphone data users climb by 22.2m over the past year, represent an 8.4% YoY growth.

India’s telecom giant Bharti Airtel posted a stellar 89 per cent year-on-year (YoY) increase in consolidated net profit for the July–September quarter of the current financial year (Q2 FY26), propelled by strong gains in its mobile and data services.

Airtel’s net profit rose to Rs6,791.7 crore, up from Rs3,593.2 crore a year earlier, according to its latest stock exchange filing. The company’s consolidated revenue from operations also saw healthy expansion—up 25.7 per cent YoY to Rs52,145.4 crore, compared with Rs41,473.3 crore in Q2 FY25.

“We delivered another quarter of solid performance, achieving a consolidated revenue of Rs52,145 crore, growing 5.4 per cent sequentially and underscoring the strength of our portfolio,” said Gopal Vittal, Vice-Chairman and Managing Director.

Vittal also highlighted multiple deal wins across connectivity, IoT, and security, citing these as key drivers in the quarter’s growth.

Operationally, Bharti Airtel reported a 36 per cent YoY increase in EBITDA, which stood at Rs29,919 crore. The EBITDA margin improved to 57.4 per cent, reflecting enhanced efficiency and higher average revenue per user (ARPU).

The company continued to consolidate its lead in the postpaid segment, adding 0.95 million new postpaid customers in the quarter and bringing its total base to 27.5 million. The number of smartphone data users climbed by 22.2 million over the past year, representing an 8.4 per cent YoY growth.

Airtel’s ARPU—a key industry metric—grew to Rs256 in Q2 FY26, compared with Rs233 in the same period last year.

Significantly, the company strengthened its balance sheet position, reducing its net debt-to-EBITDA ratio to 1.63 times, down from 2.50 times as of September 30, 2024.

“Our solid balance sheet is a reflection of disciplined capital allocation, continued deleveraging, and sustained operational excellence,” Vittal noted.