Bharti Airtel Reports 37.3% Profit Growth and Data Center Expansion

Checking in with results for the first quarter ended June 30, 2026, Bharti Airtel reported a 37.3% year-on-year increase in consolidated net profit to ₹8,167 crore. While this figure slightly missed CNBC-TV18 estimates of ₹8,374 crore, it aligned with general analyst projections of significant growth. Revenue from operations rose 18.4% to ₹58,539 crore, bolstered by strong performance in India and Africa. In India, the subscriber base grew 12.8% to nearly 436 million, while average revenue per user increased to ₹264.

The company achieved its highest-ever quarterly postpaid growth, adding 1 million users to reach a total base of 30 million. This surge is attributed to the launch of Fast Lane, a premium service using 5G network slicing technology. To sustain growth, the company increased its stake in Airtel Africa Plc to over 79% via a share swap and expanded its infrastructure with 1,579 new towers.

Beyond connectivity, the company is pivoting toward data centers and fiber networks. Its subsidiary, Nxtra, secured $1 billion in external funding to target a 1 GW capacity and acquire land in Mumbai. Airtel is also scaling its financial services, with monthly loan disbursements exceeding ₹750 crore. Additionally, the company introduced a patented small language model to standardize the work of 30,000 field engineers via mobile handsets.