Bharti Airtel Reports 34% Decline in Net Profit to Rs 7,325 Crore in Q4, Misses Analyst Estimates

Bharti Airtel Reports 34% Decline in Net Profit for Q4 FY26

Bharti Airtel, India's largest telecom operator, reported a 34% decline in net profit at Rs 7,325 crore for the quarter ended March 31, 2026. The firm's consolidated net profit for the same period last year was Rs 11,021 crore. According to CNBC-TV18, the company's Q4 net profit stood at Rs 7,404 crore.

Despite the decline in net profit, the firm's consolidated pre-tax profit rose 36% to Rs 13,205 crore for the quarter ended March 31, from Rs 9,724 crore a year earlier. This growth was driven by steady subscriber additions and users upgrading to higher-margin plans. The company's profit in the year-ago quarter was boosted by a net tax gain of Rs 2,892 crore.

Revenue Growth and Dividend

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Airtel's consolidated revenue for Q4FY26 rose 16% to Rs 55,383 crore, up from Rs 47,876 crore in the same quarter last year. The company also announced a final dividend of Rs 24 per fully paid-up equity share of face value Rs 5 each, and Rs 6 per partly paid-up equity share of face value Rs 5 each, where call money remains unpaid.

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Key Highlights

During the quarter, the company added 0.8 million postpaid users, taking its total postpaid customer base to 29 million. Smartphone data customers increased by 20 million over the past year, reflecting 7.2% annual growth. Airtel also crossed the milestone of 650 million customers during the quarter.

In a stock exchange filing, Airtel said the dividend, subject to shareholder approval at the upcoming Annual General Meeting, will be credited within 30 days of the AGM. The company's Executive Vice Chairman, Gopal Vittal, said the company ended FY26 on a strong note, highlighting the strength of Airtel's diversified portfolio.

Segmental Performance

Airtel's Homes segment reported robust revenue growth of 37.3% year-on-year, driven by strong customer expansion. The company added 1.1 million customers during the quarter, taking the total customer base to 14.2 million. Airtel Business posted sequential revenue growth of 2.6%, supported by steady performance across segments.

Digital TV revenue stood at Rs 747 crore, with the customer base reaching 16 million. The company said its IPTV services are witnessing strong traction and supporting its convergence strategy.

Capital Expenditure

Capital expenditure during the quarter stood at Rs 16,066 crore, with continued investments in 5G densification, fibre rollout, Connected Homes, Airtel Business, and data centres.