NEW DELHI: India’s second largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel saw its Q1 profit soar 37.3% to Rs Rs 8,167.4 crore from Rs 5,947.4 crore in same period last fiscal, thanks to higher mobile tariffs, strong customer additions and growth across its India and Africa businesses.Revenue in the same period rose 18.4% to Rs 58,539 crore from Rs 49,462.6 crore in April-June 2025-26. Bharti Airtel share price closed 0.3% up at Rs 1,957 on BSE Tuesday when the broader market was down by 0.3%.Airtels’ average revenue per user (ARPU) increased to Rs 264 during the quarter from Rs 250 a year ago. “We delivered yet another quarter of strong performance, supported by the resilience of our diversified portfolio and sharp execution across businesses,” executive VC and MD Gopal Vittal said. He added that India revenue grew 4.2% sequentially, while Africa business posted 5.7% constant currency growth over previous quarter.The company has completed a share swap transaction that increased its stake in Airtel Africa to more than 79%, a move Vittal described as “a strong reflection of our conviction in Africa’s long-term growth potential.” The India mobile business saw revenue grow 9.2% due to premiumisation. Smartphone data customers increased by 2.1 crore y-o-y, now accounting for 80% of the mobile customer base.
