BHARTIARTL · Telecommunication
Bharti Airtel Ltd. reported revenue of ₹55,383 cr for January to March 2026, +15.7% on the year and +2.6% on the quarter. It is the highest quarterly revenue in the last 12 quarters on record. Over the last four quarters revenue comes to ₹2.11 lakh cr, +22.0% on the four before.
Operating profit (EBITDA) was ₹31,492 cr, a margin of 56.9%, +45 bps on the year and −16 bps on the quarter. Over the last 8 quarters the margin has ranged from 51.2% to 57.0%, averaging 55.2%. Operating costs grew +14.5%, broadly with revenue, so operating profit kept pace with sales.
Net profit was ₹9,247 cr, −25.9% on the year and +8.7% on the quarter, with earnings per share of ₹12.02. Profit before other income, one-offs and tax grew faster, at +33.4%; other income, one-offs or tax held the headline back. The tax rate was 8% against an average of 25% over the previous 7 quarters, which lifted profit this quarter. Profit over the last four quarters totals ₹33,823 cr, −9.8% on the four before.
Telecom is capital-heavy: depreciation and interest take a large share of operating profit, so the operating line matters more than net profit in any one quarter. The quarterly statements do not carry revenue per user, subscribers and capital spending; those come with the filing read.
On earnings per share of ₹45.99 over the last four quarters, the stock at ₹1,899.80 trades at 41.3 times trailing earnings.
Written from the quarterly statements. The filing read adds the balance sheet and cash flow filed with this quarter, the auditor's review, segment results, one-off items line by line and what management said on the call.
A lower tax rate lifted profit. Is the lower rate going to last?
Effective tax rate 8.0% against 30.0% over the previous quarters, worth about ₹2,210 cr of profit.
Source: Quarterly statements
Core profit grew faster than reported profit: one-offs held the headline down.
Reported profit −25.9% on the year; profit before other income, exceptional items and tax +33.4%.
Source: Quarterly statements
Could not run on this quarter: Exceptional items that recur, Cash behind the profit, Receivables against sales, Inventory against sales, Borrowing while holding cash, Auditor's review or audit report, IPO money used as stated, Related-party transactions, Exits, postponements, restatements, Promoter pledges and allotments, Earlier promises against delivery, When the results were filed. Most need the filing read (balance sheet, cash flow, auditor, disclosures).
Net profit a year ago, each driver's change, and net profit now. Blue added profit, red took it away.
This quarter's filing carries a balance sheet and a cash flow statement. The cash, receivables and borrowing checks run once the filing read is in.
| Q2 FY24 | Q3 FY24 | Q4 FY24 | Q1 FY25 | Q2 FY25 | Q3 FY25 | Q4 FY25 | Q1 FY26 | Q2 FY26 | Q3 FY26 | Q4 FY26 | Q1 FY27 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | ₹37,044 cr | ₹37,900 cr | ₹37,599 cr | ₹38,506 cr | ₹41,473 cr | ₹45,129 cr | ₹47,876 cr | ₹49,463 cr | ₹52,145 cr | ₹53,982 cr | ₹55,383 cr | ₹58,539 cr |
| YoY | — | — | — | +3% | +12% | +19% | +27% | +28% | +26% | +20% | +16% | +18% |
| EBITDA margin | 52.7% | 52.3% | 51.5% | 51.2% | 52.7% | 54.5% | 56.4% | 56.3% | 56.7% | 57.0% | 56.9% | 56.9% |
| Other income, % of PBT | −17% | 25% | −47% | 33% | 8% | 57% | 4% | 6% | 7% | 5% | −22% | 5% |
| Exceptional items | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tax rate | 47% | 30% | 26% | 22% | 30% | 4% | −30% | 29% | 30% | 31% | 8% | 27% |
| Net profit | ₹2,093 cr | ₹2,876 cr | ₹2,068 cr | ₹4,718 cr | ₹4,153 cr | ₹16,135 cr | ₹12,476 cr | ₹7,422 cr | ₹8,651 cr | ₹8,503 cr | ₹9,247 cr | ₹10,012 cr |
| YoY | — | — | — | +210% | +98% | +461% | +503% | +57% | +108% | −47% | −26% | +35% |
| Core profit YoY | — | — | — | −7% | +18% | +133% | +125% | +147% | +112% | +63% | +33% | +32% |
| EPS | ₹2.39 | ₹4.34 | ₹3.66 | ₹7.31 | ₹6.31 | ₹25.95 | ₹19.33 | ₹10.43 | ₹11.91 | ₹11.63 | ₹12.02 | ₹13.09 |
| Flags | · | · | · | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 1 | ✓ |
Each quarter is read with the same rules. Balance-sheet and cash checks run on half-year and annual quarters; filing-read checks run where a read exists.
Bharti Airtel Ltd. reported revenue of ₹55,383 cr (+15.7% on the year) and net profit of ₹9,247 cr (−25.9% on the year) for January to March 2026.
Profit before other income, exceptional items and tax moved +33.4% on the year, against −25.9% for reported profit.
1 check raised a question: A lower tax rate lifted profit. Is the lower rate going to last?
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