Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS) Bharti Airtel Limited on Tuesday reported a strong set of numbers for the first quarter of the current financial year (Q1 FY26), with its net profit surging 57.32 per cent to Rs 7,421.80 crore.

The telecom major had posted a profit of Rs 4,717.50 crore in the same quarter previous year, according to its stock exchange filing.

Revenue from operations grew 28.45 per cent to Rs 49,462.60 crore, compared to Rs 38,506.40 crore in the corresponding period of the previous year, driven by robust growth in India and a rebound in Africa on reported currency.

The company’s consolidated EBITDA came in at Rs 28,167 crore, with an EBITDA margin of 56.9 per cent.

Airtel’s average revenue per user (ARPU) stood at Rs 250 for the quarter, higher than Rs 211 in Q1 FY25, the company stated in its regulatory filing.

The India business delivered an EBITDA of Rs 22,352 crore, with margins improving to 59.5 per cent, up 598 basis points year-on-year.

Bharti Airtel’s net debt to EBITDA ratio (annualised) improved to 1.70 times, from 1.86 times as of March 31.

Excluding lease obligations, the ratio stood at 1.26 times. The company invested Rs 8,307 crore in capital expenditure during the quarter, with Rs 7,273 crore allocated to its India operations to strengthen digital infrastructure.

In Africa, revenue in constant currency terms grew 24.9 per cent YoY, while the EBITDA margin rose to 48.1 per cent.

Airtel rolled out new prepaid OTT packs with access to over 25 platforms and launched the Business Name Display (BND) feature for enterprises during the quarter.

Vice-Chairman and Managing Director Gopal Vittal said the company delivered consistent growth, with India mobile revenues rising 2.9 per cent sequentially, aided by portfolio premiumisation and the addition of nearly 4 million smartphone data customers.

The Homes business added a record 939,000 new connections, leading to a 7.6 per cent sequential revenue growth.

Airtel’s customer base reached 605 million across 15 countries by the end of the quarter.

Vittal said the performance reflects Airtel’s sustained investments, focus on customer experience, and disciplined capital allocation, adding that the company’s balance sheet remains strong with solid cash flow generation.

–IANS

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