Leading telecom company Bharti Airtel announced a 55% decline in net profit for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, amounting to Rs 6,630.5 crore after exceptional items. This drop is in comparison to Rs 14,781.2 crore reported in the same period last fiscal year. The decrease in profit is primarily attributed to a high base effect from the previous year.
The company’s profit was further impacted by an additional expense of Rs 256.8 crore due to the new Labour Codes. On a quarterly basis, Bharti Airtel’s profit saw a 2.3% decrease, with the profit for the September quarter of FY26 standing at Rs 6,791.7 crore.
In the December quarter, Bharti Airtel’s total revenue reached Rs 54,683.9 crore, marking a 19.92% increase compared to the same period in the previous fiscal year. The total expenses for the company in the December quarter of the current fiscal year amounted to Rs 23,198.8 crore, showing a 12.98% increase in expenses year-on-year.
Gopal Vittal, Executive Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel, highlighted that the company’s India revenue, including passive infrastructure services, saw a 1.4% sequential increase. Moreover, Africa demonstrated strong performance with a constant currency revenue growth of 5.8%. The company’s average revenue per user (ARPU) in the December quarter rose to Rs 259, up from Rs 256 in September and Rs 245 in December 2024.
