NEW DELHI: Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Tuesday reported a 43% year-on-year increase in its consolidated profit to Rs 5,948 crore in the June quarter – its fifth straight quarter of profit growth – driven by new users and the lingering benefits of last year’s price hikes.The company’s Africa operations during the quarter posted a five-fold jump in net profit to $156 million from $31 million on year-over-year basis. Consolidated revenue from operations of Bharti Airtel increased by 28.4% to Rs 49,463 crore during the reporting quarter from Rs 38,506 crore in the year-ago period, the company said.Bharti Airtel’s India revenue increased by 29% YoY to Rs 37,585 crore. India operations average revenue per user (ARPU), a key matrix to determine a telecom operator’s growth, in India increased to Rs 250 during the quarter under review compared to Rs 211 in the same period a year ago. Reliance Industries-owned-Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea raised tariffs in July 2024 for the first time in more than two years, as their focus shifts to monetisation from fierce competition for market share.Last month, Jio reported an ARPU of Rs 209 for the quarter. Vodafone Idea, which is yet to report results, had an ARPU of Rs 175 rupees as of March-end. Bharti Airtel’s total customer base grew by 6.7% on YoY basis to 60.5 crore in the quarter from 59 crore a year ago. The mobile data consumption on Airtel’s India network increased by 13% to 26.9GB per customer per month. agencies
