Bharti Airtel Ltd.Strong Cash Flow & Aggressive Data Center Expansion

Bharti Airtel delivered steady Q3 FY26 performance with consolidated revenue of ₹54,000 crore, up 3.5% quarter-on-quarter, and EBITDAaL of ₹27,700 crore, growing 4.2% with margin expansion of 30 basis points to 51.3%.

Operating free cash flow stood strong at ₹15,900 crore, while net debt to EBITDAaL improved to 1.02x, the lowest leverage globally in telecom. Mobile ARPU reached ₹259 through premiumization efforts, with 5G customers hitting 181 million and 74% population coverage. The company recorded highest-ever quarterly broadband net additions of 1.2 million, taking total connected homes to 13 million. Management announced aggressive data center expansion plans, targeting 1 gigawatt capacity over 3-4 years to capture 25% market share from the current 12%.

The digital portfolio grew 39% year-on-year, with cloud business gaining traction through 16 signed deals. Management emphasized creative ARPU growth strategies including international roaming, postpaid upgrades targeting 90 million credit-scored customers, and continued premiumization, demonstrating confidence in diversified growth opportunities across mobility, broadband, and B2B segments.