Bharti Airtel's Net Profit More Than Doubles in Q2FY26 on Strong Mobile and Homes Business Growth

Bharti Airtel announced impressive financial results for the second quarter of the fiscal year 2026 (Q2FY26), ending September 30, 2025. The company's consolidated net profit more than doubled, reaching ₹8,651 crore, a substantial increase from ₹4,153.4 crore recorded in Q2FY25. The net profit attributable to the parent company for Q2FY26 stood at ₹6,792 crore.

Consolidated revenue from operations also showed robust growth, climbing approximately 26% year-on-year to ₹52,145 crore, up from ₹41,473.3 crore in Q2FY25. Revenue from India operations grew by 22.6% to ₹38,690 crore, while Airtel Africa reported a 35% revenue growth in rupee terms to ₹13,679.5 crore.

The mobile segment was a key growth driver, with revenue increasing by 13.2% year-on-year, attributed to improved realisations and an expanding customer base. Bharti Airtel's Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) rose to ₹256 in Q2FY26, up from ₹233 in Q2FY25. The company highlighted its focus on quality customers and portfolio premiumisation, leading to approximately 1 million net additions in the postpaid segment.

Bharti Airtel's total customer base expanded by 10.7% year-on-year to 62.35 crore, with India's subscriber base reaching 44.97 crore. The company also saw a 78% quarterly jump in smartphone data customers, adding 51 lakh users, and mobile data consumption per customer increased to 28.3 GB per month.

The Homes business delivered strong performance with a 30.2% year-on-year revenue growth, adding 9.51 lakh customers. Airtel Business also reported positive results with 4.3% sequential revenue growth, securing multiple deals in connectivity, IoT, and security.

Capital expenditure (capex) for the quarter was ₹11,362 crore, with India accounting for ₹9,643 crore. The company has also been expanding its infrastructure, deploying over 12,000 new towers and laying over 44,000 km of fiber in the past 12 months.

Impact: This strong financial performance indicates robust demand for telecom services and effective execution by Bharti Airtel. It suggests potential for continued growth in subscriber base, data consumption, and revenue, which is positive for the company's stock and the broader Indian telecom sector. The increased ARPU and customer additions demonstrate the company's strategy is paying off. The infrastructure investments position it well for future growth. Rating: 8/10

Difficult Terms: Consolidated Net Profit: The total profit of a company including all its subsidiaries. Premiumisation: The strategy of offering higher-priced, premium versions of products or services to customers. ARPU (Average Revenue Per User): A metric showing the average revenue generated by each user over a specific period. YoY (Year-on-Year): A comparison of performance metrics over a specific period with the same period in the previous year. Capex (Capital Expenditure): Funds used by a company to acquire, upgrade, and maintain physical assets like property, buildings, or equipment. IPTV (Internet Protocol Television): A system for delivering television content using the Internet Protocol suite over a packet-switched network. IoT (Internet of Things): A network of physical objects ('things') embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies that enable them to connect and exchange data with other devices and systems over the internet.