Airtel Q2 Performance Impresses; Shares Rise as India and Africa Drive Growth

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Bharti Airtel reported a strong July–September quarter, with consolidated net profit climbing 73.6% year‑on‑year to Rs 6,792 crore. Group revenue expanded 25.7% to Rs 52,145 crore, while EBITDA increased 35.9% to Rs 29,919 crore, lifting margins to 57.4% in Q2 FY26.

Operations in India remained a key contributor: revenue rose 22.6% to Rs 38,690 crore, aided by a higher proportion of premium customers. Average revenue per user (ARPU) improved 10% to Rs 256. The company added 5.1 million smartphone subscribers and 951,000 home broadband connections during the quarter.

Airtel’s African business also delivered notable expansion, with constant‑currency revenue up 24.2% and an EBITDA margin of 48.8%, supporting the group’s overall momentum across markets.

Capital expenditure during the quarter totalled Rs 11,362 crore. Management maintained a disciplined balance sheet, with net‑debt‑to‑EBITDA at an annualised 1.19x.

Investors reacted positively to the results: Airtel shares opened sharply higher on Tuesday and touched a session peak of Rs 2,129 on the NSE, up from the prior close of Rs 2,074, a rise of about 2.7% as market sentiment turned upbeat.

Over the past 12 months the stock has climbed more than 33%, well ahead of the Nifty 50’s 7.5% gain. The quarterly outcome underlines Airtel’s strengthened market position and its ability to monetise subscriber upgrades across India and Africa.