Bharti Airtel delivered robust financial results for the second quarter, with profit rising 24% to ₹10,710 crore compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year. According to reports from Rediff Money, this growth was driven by strong revenue performance across the company's India and Africa operations. The telecommunications giant demonstrated solid operational momentum during the quarter, with consolidated revenue rising 16.7% to ₹60,877.5 crore compared to the previous year. Despite these strong numbers, the company's share price dipped slightly by 0.2% even as the broader market climbed.
The company's average revenue per user (ARPU) reached ₹271, representing a 5.8% increase from ₹256 recorded in the corresponding quarter of the last fiscal year. As reported by Rediff Money, this ARPU growth indicates improved monetization of the company's customer base and stronger pricing power in the telecommunications market. The India mobile service revenue increased by 10.1% year-on-year, driven by strong customer additions and improved realization. Executive Vice Chairman Gopal Vittal pointed to their diverse business and focus on premium services as key reasons for this steady growth, with the company seeing an 11% increase in its global customer base and significant growth in postpaid and smartphone data users. The company also reported record net additions of 12 lakh postpaid subscribers during the quarter, taking its total postpaid customer base to 3.12 crore.
The 24% profit growth was attributed to strong revenue performance across Bharti Airtel's India and Africa business segments. According to the company's quarterly results, both regional operations contributed significantly to the overall financial performance during the second quarter. In India, India revenue grew by 9.4% to ₹42,308 crore with India mobile service revenue increasing by 10.1% year-on-year. Africa operations also performed well, with Executive Vice Chairman Gopal Vittal highlighting that Africa delivered a standout quarter with 6.7% QoQ constant currency revenue growth. The company's improving performance is also benefiting from the rollout of Airtel's homegrown technology stack across markets, powering their go-to-market capabilities.
The company's financial position strengthened significantly during the quarter, with net debt declining by 14% to ₹1.66 lakh crore. As reported by Rediff Money, this reduction in debt levels came alongside strategic investments in digital infrastructure and data centers. The company's India business recorded strong revenue growth of 2.7% sequentially, with India mobile delivering revenue growth of 3.4% quarter-on-quarter, backed by their strategy of portfolio premiumization and winning quality customers. This combination of revenue growth and debt reduction demonstrates effective capital management and positions the company well for continued expansion in the competitive telecommunications market.
