Bharti Airtel Q4 FY26: Profit Falls 34%, ARPU ₹257

Key takeaway from Airtel’s March-quarter results

Bharti Airtel reported a sharp year-on-year decline in consolidated net profit for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 (Q4 FY26), even as revenue growth remained steady. The telecom operator posted consolidated net profit of ₹7,325.1 crore, down 33.54% from ₹11,021.8 crore in the year-ago quarter. CNBC-TV18 had pegged Q4 net profit at ₹7,404 crore, putting the reported figure slightly below the estimate. Airtel’s update also highlighted continued subscriber additions and premiumisation, reflected in its ARPU trajectory.

Net profit fell, but the tax base effect mattered

Airtel said the year-ago quarter’s profit had been boosted by a net tax gain of ₹2,892 crore. That base effect helped explain why net profit contracted even as operating momentum continued. In contrast, consolidated profit before tax (PBT) increased 36% year-on-year to ₹13,205 crore in Q4 FY26 from ₹9,724 crore a year earlier. The company attributed the improvement in pre-tax performance to steady subscriber additions and customers upgrading to higher-margin plans.

Revenue rose 16% year-on-year to ₹55,383 crore

Airtel’s Q4 FY26 revenue from operations increased 15.68% year-on-year to ₹55,383.2 crore, compared with ₹47,876.2 crore in Q4 FY25. The company also disclosed that consolidated revenue for the quarter was ₹55,383 crore, with sequential growth of 2.6%. Another disclosure cited sequential revenue growth of 2.5%, indicating a broadly consistent quarter-on-quarter improvement. Airtel flagged Africa as a standout performer during the quarter.

India and Africa performance cues

Airtel said India revenue, including passive infrastructure services, grew 0.9% sequentially. Africa delivered constant currency growth of 1.1% quarter-on-quarter. Within India, the company reported that India Mobile achieved sequential growth of 0.6%, despite two fewer days in the quarter. Separately, Airtel reported revenue from its India business climbed 7.7% year-on-year to ₹39,566 crore. It also said the India mobile segment posted an 8.3% increase in revenue, driven by improved realisations and continued growth in its subscriber base.

Subscriber additions and premiumisation trends

The telco reported adding 5.8 million smartphone customers during the quarter. It also added 0.8 million postpaid customers, framing this as part of its focus on “quality customers and portfolio premiumisation”. Airtel highlighted that its industry-leading ARPU stood at ₹257 in Q4 FY26. The ARPU figure was also reported as a 5% year-on-year increase to ₹257 from ₹245 in the year-ago period.

Dividend announced: ₹24 per fully paid-up share

Airtel’s board considered and recommended a final dividend of ₹24 per fully paid-up equity share of face value ₹5 each. It also recommended ₹6 per partly paid-up equity share of face value ₹5 each (paid-up value ₹1.25 per share) on which call money remains unpaid. The company said the dividend is proportionate to the amount paid-up on each equity share. Airtel added that, if approved by shareholders at the ensuing Annual General Meeting (AGM), the dividend will be credited within 30 days from the date of the AGM. The record date for determining eligible members will be intimated in due course, the company said in an exchange filing.

Sequential movement: profit improved from the prior quarter

While net profit declined year-on-year, Airtel reported sequential improvement. The company said profit grew 10.48% sequentially from ₹6,630 crore. This sequential rise came alongside the quarter-on-quarter increase in revenue noted in the company’s disclosures.

Full-year snapshot: FY26 profit and revenue

For the full financial year FY26, Airtel’s net profit declined 20.4% to ₹26,695 crore from ₹33,556 crore in FY25. Over the same period, annual revenue grew 21.9% to ₹210,972.8 crore. The full-year numbers show a divergence between revenue growth and net profit, consistent with the quarter’s message that below-the-line factors can meaningfully affect reported profitability.

Key numbers at a glance

Why the result matters for telecom investors

Airtel’s Q4 FY26 results underline how reported net profit can be volatile when the base period includes tax-led gains, even if operating indicators stay firm. The year-on-year rise in PBT alongside revenue growth points to continued improvement in core operations during the quarter. Investor attention is likely to remain on ARPU movement, subscriber mix, and the pace of premium plan upgrades, given Airtel’s emphasis on higher-margin customers. The dividend recommendation adds another datapoint for shareholders, with timing dependent on AGM approval and the record date announcement.

What to watch next

The next key milestone on the dividend is shareholder approval at the upcoming AGM, followed by the announced credit timeline of within 30 days from the AGM date. Airtel has said the record date will be communicated later, which will matter for dividend eligibility. Operationally, investors will track whether ARPU sustains above the ₹257 level and whether smartphone and postpaid additions remain steady. Updates on India and Africa growth, including constant currency trends in Africa, will also remain central to the market’s reading of the business.