Idea Cellular net profit falls 41%

Aditya Birla Group firm Idea Cellular onFriday reported a 41 per cent year-on-year decline in consolidated net profitto Rs 105.76 crore for the quarter ended September 30, 2011.

The company had posted a net profit of Rs 179.74 crore forthe second quarter (July-September) last fiscal, Idea Cellular said in a filingto the BSE.

The company's profit-after-tax took a hit on account of nethigh interest and finance costs of Rs 253.8 crore amid the challenging externalenvironment, including an Rs 31 crore foreign exchange loss, the company said.

However, Idea Cellular's total income increased to Rs4,619.92 crore during the quarter under review, up from Rs 3,659.19 crore forthe quarter ended September 30, 2010.

On a standalone basis, the company posted a net profit of Rs73.94 crore for the quarter under review, compared to Rs 165.98 crore for thesame period last fiscal.

Shares of Idea Cellular were trading at Rs 91.95 on the BSE,down 1.39 per cent from their previous close.