Bharti Airtel Q4 Results: Profit falls 34% YoY to Rs 7,325 crore even as revenue jumps 16%

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 7,325 crore in the fourth quarter of FY26, which was down 34% year-on-year (YoY) from Rs 11,022 crore in the last year's quarter. The company posted quarterly revenues of Rs 55,383 crore, showing a growth of 16% year-on-year (YoY).

The board recommended a final dividend of Rs 24 per fully paid-up equity share for FY26.

The revenue growth for the quarter was driven by sustained growth across India operations and a strong performance from Africa. India revenue, including passive infrastructure services, grew 8% YoY to Rs 39,566 crore. Africa delivered constant currency growth of 1.1% quarter-on-quarter.

Consolidated EBITDA increased 17% YoY to Rs 32,038 crore, while EBITDA margin expanded 60 basis points to 57.8%. India EBITDA stood at Rs 23,965 crore with margin improving to 60.6%. Consolidated EBIT rose 21% YoY to Rs 18,156 crore, with EBIT margin expanding 160 basis points to 32.8%.

The company said India's mobile revenue grew 8% YoY, aided by portfolio premiumisation and higher smartphone penetration. Airtel added 5.8 million smartphone users and 0.8 million postpaid customers during the quarter. Average revenue per user (ARPU) stood at Rs 257.

The Homes business remained one of the strongest growth engines for the company. Revenue from the segment rose 37% YoY, while Airtel added 1.135 million net customers during the quarter as it expanded its WiFi and IPTV footprint across markets.

Digital TV revenue, however, declined 2% YoY, with the segment generating revenue of Rs 747 crore and ending the quarter with a customer base of 16 million users.

Airtel Business posted sequential growth of 2.6%, supported by both connectivity and digital services demand.

The company also announced several strategic initiatives during the quarter. Airtel partnered with Google to strengthen spam protection and Rich Communication Services messaging capabilities for users in India. It also launched the AI and Cyber Threat Research Center in collaboration with Zscaler to improve cyber resilience and accelerate trusted AI adoption in India.

During the quarter, Airtel unveiled expansion plans for its NBFC arm, Airtel Money Limited. The company said the subsidiary would be capitalised with Rs 20,000 crore over the next few years to scale digital lending operations. Airtel will contribute 70% of the planned capital infusion, while promoter group entity Bharti Enterprises will bring in the remaining 30%.

Capex for the quarter stood at Rs 16,066 crore as the telecom operator accelerated investments in 5G densification, fibre deployment, connected homes, data centres and enterprise services.

The company's balance sheet continued to strengthen, with the consolidated net debt-to-EBITDA ratio improving to 1.29 times from 1.86 times a year ago. Consolidated net debt excluding lease obligations stood at 0.79 times EBITDAaL.

Executive Vice Chairman Gopal Vittal said FY26 was an important year for Airtel as it crossed the 650 million customer mark, expanded its data centre footprint and received RBI approval through its subsidiary to enter the lending business.

"We will continue to accelerate our investments towards building world-class digital networks, future-proof Airtel by putting AI at the heart and sharpen our portfolio for long-term growth," Vittal said. He also reiterated that further tariff repair remains critical to support continued investments and long-term value creation in the telecom sector.

Also read: Tata Motors (CV) Q4 Results: Standalone profit spikes 70% YoY to Rs 2,406 crore; revenue jumps 22%

On Wednesday, Airtel shares closed 1.4% higher at Rs 1,781 on NSE.