Bharti Airtel reported consolidated net profit of Rs 8,502 crore for the third quarter of FY26, down from Rs 16,134 crore in the year-ago period, according to a stock exchange filing.
Despite the decline in profit, the telecom operator posted strong revenue growth. Consolidated revenue rose 19.6% year-on-year to Rs 53,981 crore, compared with Rs 45,129 crore in Q3 FY25. On a sequential basis, revenue grew 3.5%, driven by steady momentum in India and a solid contribution from the Africa business.
Sales and marketing expenditure increased 17% year-on-year to Rs 3,426 crore during the quarter, up from Rs 2,926 crore a year earlier, reflecting the company’s continued focus on brand investments and customer acquisition.
The India business recorded revenue of Rs 39,226 crore, up 13.2% year-on-year and 1.4% quarter-on-quarter. Growth was supported by premiumisation in mobile services, expansion in home broadband, and stable performance in Airtel Business. Mobile services revenue in India stood at Rs 28,651 crore.
The Africa segment posted revenue of Rs 15,010 crore, aided by improved go-to-market execution and digital-led distribution.
Home services revenue grew 32.5% year-on-year to Rs 2,000 crore, with record net additions of 1.16 million customers. Digital TV revenue remained largely flat at Rs 755 crore.
Consolidated EBITDA came in at Rs 31,144 crore, with a margin of 57.7%. India EBITDA stood at Rs 23,676 crore, with a margin of 60.4%.
ARPU rose to Rs 259, while mobile data usage increased 29.2% year-on-year. Executive Vice Chairman Gopal Vittal said the quarter reflected strong, diversified performance across markets.
