Bharti Airtel Q4 results: Adjusted PAT soars 77% YoY to Rs 5,223 crore, Rs 16 dividend announced
Bharti Airtel's Q4 results reveal a 77% YoY increase in adjusted profit to Rs 5,223 crore, driven by strong India revenue growth and a strategic partnership with Apple.
- May 13, 2025,
- Updated May 13, 2025 8:42 PM IST
Bharti Airtel has reported a significant 77% year-on-year rise in its adjusted profit after tax (PAT) for the fourth quarter, reaching Rs 5,223 crore. This performance was bolstered by a robust increase in quarterly revenues, which rose 27% to Rs 47,876 crore. The growth was largely driven by strong momentum in the Indian market, a rebound in Africa's reported currency revenue, and the full quarter impact of the Indus Towers consolidation.
In light of these results, the company board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 16 per share for the financial year 2024-25, reflecting the company's solid financial position.
Airtel's India revenue surged by 29% year-on-year to Rs 36,735 crore, with mobile revenue experiencing a 21% growth, attributed to tariff adjustments and the premiumisation of its portfolio. The average revenue per user (ARPU) for the quarter stood at Rs 245, up from Rs 209 in the same period last year.
The consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 40% year-on-year to Rs 27,404 crore, with an EBITDA margin of 57.2%. This margin was even higher in India, reaching 60%. The net debt-to-EBITDA ratio improved to 1.86 times on an annualised basis from 1.98 times in December 2024.
While the company's Airtel business revenues saw a decline of 3% year-on-year due to a strategic shift away from low-margin global wholesale operations, other segments performed well. The homes business posted a 21.3% revenue growth year-on-year, supported by a significant net addition of 812,000 customers, bringing the total to 10 million.
Additionally, Airtel's Africa operations maintained their momentum with a 23.2% revenue growth in constant currency terms and an EBITDA margin improvement of 120 basis points to 47.5%. The customer base in Africa expanded to 166 million by the end of March 2025.
Airtel continued to strengthen its market position by expanding its network infrastructure, adding about 3,300 extra towers and 13,600 mobile broadband stations during the quarter. The year's total increases amounted to approximately 19,900 towers and 44,400 kilometres of fibre. The company also saw a significant boost in its smartphone market share, with a 9.5% year-on-year increase in the addition of 24 million devices. Airtel's leadership in the postpaid segment continued, adding 0.6 million users, resulting in a customer base of 25.9 million.
In a strategic move to enhance its service offerings, Bharti Airtel announced a partnership with Apple, granting Airtel customers exclusive access to Apple TV+ and Apple Music. This collaboration is set to provide consumers with premium content, including drama and comedy series, feature films, documentaries, and family entertainment. "This strategic partnership with Apple will allow Airtel customers to get exclusive access to premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, ground breaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment," the company stated.
In March 2025, the company prepaid Rs 5,985 crore towards deferred liabilities to the Department of Telecommunications for spectrum purchased in 2024. Airtel's share price closed 2.5% lower at Rs 1,824 on the NSE on Tuesday.
Bharti Airtel has reported a significant 77% year-on-year rise in its adjusted profit after tax (PAT) for the fourth quarter, reaching Rs 5,223 crore. This performance was bolstered by a robust increase in quarterly revenues, which rose 27% to Rs 47,876 crore. The growth was largely driven by strong momentum in the Indian market, a rebound in Africa's reported currency revenue, and the full quarter impact of the Indus Towers consolidation.
In light of these results, the company board has recommended a final dividend of Rs 16 per share for the financial year 2024-25, reflecting the company's solid financial position.
Airtel's India revenue surged by 29% year-on-year to Rs 36,735 crore, with mobile revenue experiencing a 21% growth, attributed to tariff adjustments and the premiumisation of its portfolio. The average revenue per user (ARPU) for the quarter stood at Rs 245, up from Rs 209 in the same period last year.
The consolidated earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA) increased by 40% year-on-year to Rs 27,404 crore, with an EBITDA margin of 57.2%. This margin was even higher in India, reaching 60%. The net debt-to-EBITDA ratio improved to 1.86 times on an annualised basis from 1.98 times in December 2024.
While the company's Airtel business revenues saw a decline of 3% year-on-year due to a strategic shift away from low-margin global wholesale operations, other segments performed well. The homes business posted a 21.3% revenue growth year-on-year, supported by a significant net addition of 812,000 customers, bringing the total to 10 million.
Additionally, Airtel's Africa operations maintained their momentum with a 23.2% revenue growth in constant currency terms and an EBITDA margin improvement of 120 basis points to 47.5%. The customer base in Africa expanded to 166 million by the end of March 2025.
Airtel continued to strengthen its market position by expanding its network infrastructure, adding about 3,300 extra towers and 13,600 mobile broadband stations during the quarter. The year's total increases amounted to approximately 19,900 towers and 44,400 kilometres of fibre. The company also saw a significant boost in its smartphone market share, with a 9.5% year-on-year increase in the addition of 24 million devices. Airtel's leadership in the postpaid segment continued, adding 0.6 million users, resulting in a customer base of 25.9 million.
In a strategic move to enhance its service offerings, Bharti Airtel announced a partnership with Apple, granting Airtel customers exclusive access to Apple TV+ and Apple Music. This collaboration is set to provide consumers with premium content, including drama and comedy series, feature films, documentaries, and family entertainment. "This strategic partnership with Apple will allow Airtel customers to get exclusive access to premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, ground breaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment," the company stated.
In March 2025, the company prepaid Rs 5,985 crore towards deferred liabilities to the Department of Telecommunications for spectrum purchased in 2024. Airtel's share price closed 2.5% lower at Rs 1,824 on the NSE on Tuesday.