Telecom earnings preview: Jio may lead in revenue growth; Airtel likely to top ARPU number, Vi steadies user base
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Market leader Jio is expected to report a 1.8% sequential jump in average revenue per user (ARPU) to Rs 210, driven by the addition of 2 million FWA users—part of a likely net addition of 7.2 million subscribers, according to JM Financial. Airtel while likely to clock a higher ARPU at Rs 249, may see a lower sequential growth rate of 1.6%, the brokerage added, according to an ET report.
Vodafone Idea (Vi), meanwhile, is projected to report an ARPU of Rs 167, up 1.6% from the previous quarter, buoyed by subscriber upgrades, improved user mix, and one extra day in the June quarter.
Crucially, Vi is also expected to maintain its user base for the first time in recent memory, aided by an expanding 4G footprint and wider rollout of services.
Revenue outlook diverges on network and strategy
Jio's strong subscriber additions are set to translate into a 2.7% quarter-on-quarter rise in revenue to Rs 31,200 crore, JM Financial estimated. However, its standalone net profit may stay flat at Rs 6,640 crore, due to the full-quarter impact of higher depreciation and amortisation following 5G spectrum capitalisation and fixed asset additions in the March quarter.
Telecom financial snapshot: Q1 FY26 estimates (Compared to Jan–Mar '25)
Metric Reliance Jio QoQ Growth (%) Bharti Airtel QoQ Growth (%) Vodafone Idea QoQ Growth (%) Revenue (₹ crore) 31,171 2.7% 27,305 2.6% 11,136 1.1% Net Profit (₹ crore) 6,645 Flat 7,690 47.0% 7,145 – Subscribers (million) 495 1.5% 364 0.6% 197 -0.5% ARPU (₹) 209.9 1.8% 249.0 1.6% 167.0 1.6%
Source:
JM Financial, BofA Securities, as reported ET.
Airtel's wireless service revenues are forecast to grow 2.6% to Rs 27,305 crore, while its consolidated net profit could jump 47% sequentially to Rs 7,690 crore, on the back of robust mobile broadband growth. JM Financial expects Airtel to add 5.5 million mobile broadband users in Q1—down from 6.6 million in Q4 FY25—while its total subscriber addition is pegged at 2.3 million, the report said.
According to BofA Securities, Airtel's enterprise revenues may remain under pressure due to its exit from low-margin commodity wholesale voice services.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
For Vodafone Idea, JM Financial expects a modest 1.1% sequential rise in revenue to Rs 11,100 crore, with net loss narrowing slightly to Rs 7,145 crore. Analysts say Vi's stabilising user base—after years of decline—is a result of its improving network and recent 5G expansion.
'We consider this trend to sustain going ahead, given a better network now,' BofA noted in a report.
Tariff hike already priced in
The impact of the recent tariff hikes by telcos has already played out, and analysts now anticipate the next round of price increases only by next year.
'We expect telcos to raise tariffs by around 12% in 2026,' BofA Securities said.
Vi recently launched phase two of its 5G rollout across 23 cities, aiming to cover all 17 of its priority circles. However, the telco still lags nearly 2.5 years behind Jio and Airtel in the 5G race, having lost significant market share since the rollout began.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
9 minutes ago
- NDTV
Nitin Gadkari's Mega Mobility Plan: Hyperloop, Electric Buses, Ropeways On Fast Track
Ranchi: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has unveiled an ambitious roadmap for next-generation mass mobility in the country, which includes electric rapid transport, hyperloop in urban areas and ropeways, cable buses and funicular railways in inaccessible terrains. In an interview with PTI, the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways said India's transport sector is undergoing a major transition, with initiatives like tree bank, mobile-based driving tests, and flex-fuel engines by 11 leading automakers in the pipeline. Also on the agenda are plans to upgrade 25,000 km of two-lane highways to four lanes, establish an electric mass rapid transport network across major routes and scale up road construction to 100 km per day. 'We are driving innovation. A revolution in mass mobility is underway,' Mr Gadkari said. 'Work is progressing at a war footing to transform how India travels, with a focus not just on metropolises but also on remote, inaccessible rural areas. We're building ropeways, cable cars and funicular railways across 360 locations, including Kedarnath. Work has already started on 60 of these projects,' he said. Funicular railways are a system that combines elevator and railway technologies to efficiently transport people and goods up and down inclines. These are particularly useful in mountainous or hilly areas. Mr Gadkari said the cost of these projects ranges from Rs 200 crore to Rs 5,000 crore and once completed, they will change the face of India. The minister added that improved road infrastructure will not only boost the economy but will also help in propelling growth and creating jobs. 'I am more than confident that in a year's time, our highways will match the standard and quality of US roads that I have been emphasising,' he said, adding that days are not far off when metropolises will have cable-run buses, electric rapid mass transport buses with aeroplane-like facilities. Mr Gadkari said pilot projects like Metrino pod taxis, hyperloop systems, and pillar-based mass rapid transport are in the pipeline for cities like Delhi and Bengaluru. 'Technology and investors are both coming in. It will be a revolution,' he said. The minister said, 'Eleven companies, including Tata, Toyota, Hyundai and Mahindra, have agreed to build flex-fuel engine vehicles that will reduce dependence on fuel imports as well as fossil fuel." Flex-fuel vehicles are equipped with internal combustion engines that can operate on more than one fuel. They are primarily meant to run on ethanol and methanol or a blend of biofuels and on conventional fuels such as petrol or diesel. Mr Gadkari said India is working on 25,000 km of road upgrades for converting two-lane roads into four-lanes and 'we plan to build 100 km of roads per day – this is our target, not a declaration,' he clarified. The length of national highways was 91,287 km in 2013-14 and there has been an increase of about 60 per cent in the length of NHs to 1,46,204 km, he said. The length of National High-Speed Corridors (HSC) has expanded from 93 km in 2014 to 2,474 km at present, he said. New technologies, like precast construction, three-ft road barriers, and AI-based road safety tools, including drones and camera monitoring systems, are being introduced to boost efficiency and safety. 'We plan to plant 20–25 crore trees along highways, with an aim to transplant old trees and replant five for every one cut.' Talks for a tree bank are in advanced stages with the Ministry of Environment and once a go-ahead is received, full-fledged work will start, the minister said. Speaking about electric rapid transport, Mr Gadkari said a tender has been floated for a 135-seater electric bus in Nagpur as a pilot project. The bus will feature executive-class seating, air-conditioning, and airline-grade amenities, capable of running at speeds of 120–125 km/hr. It will recharge in 30–40 minutes at designated stops and is expected to cost 30 per cent less than traditional diesel buses while offering significantly lower emissions, he said. 'Once the trial is successful, we plan to introduce similar buses pan-India, including on routes like Delhi-Chandigarh, Delhi-Dehradun, Delhi-Meerut, Delhi-Jaipur, Mumbai-Pune, Mumbai-Aurangabad and Bangalore-Chennai, among others," he added. As many as 670 roadside amenities have already been approved, aimed at providing world-class facilities for both travellers and drivers across national highways, he said. The minister said India's transport sector contributes nearly 40 per cent to the country's air pollution, and emphasised that green mobility initiatives will not only help curb emissions but also significantly reduce the nation's annual fuel import bill of around Rs 22 lakh crore. He further claimed that improved road infrastructure will help bring down logistics costs from 14 per cent of GDP to 9 per cent by the end of the year, enhancing overall economic efficiency.
Time of India
12 minutes ago
- Time of India
GMB insolvency: Borosil exits loss-making German unit GMB, focus shifts to India's booming solar glass market
Borosil Renewables has moved to exit its German solar glass business, with its step-down subsidiary GMB Glasmanufaktur Brandenburg GmbH filing for insolvency, as the company shifts focus to the fast-growing Indian solar glass market. In a regulatory filing, Borosil said GMB has applied for the commencement of insolvency proceedings before the Insolvency Court in Cottbus, Germany, under the German Insolvency Code (InsO). The decision follows a comprehensive assessment of market viability, strategic priorities, and continued losses caused by plunging demand, PTI reported. "The challenges for GMB began with slide in demand for German made solar panels, when faced with the precipitous drop in prices by Chinese manufacturers of solar panels, who have engaged in large scale dumping in the European market, using predatory pricing," Borosil said. The company added that despite repeated warnings from German solar module makers, authorities had not taken meaningful protective action. This policy vacuum forced several German manufacturers to shut down or enter insolvency, leading to the collapse of demand for solar glass locally manufactured by GMB. As a result, GMB — once a vital part of Borosil's global footprint with a 350-tonne-per-day production capacity — reported substantial losses, adversely impacting Borosil's consolidated financials. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Quanto costa trasformare la vasca in doccia? Remail Scopri Undo Borosil's total exposure to its German operations stood at €35.3 million, or around Rs 340 crore, as of March 31, 2025. Effective July 4, 2025 — the date of the insolvency filing — Borosil will no longer account for GMB's monthly losses. Analysts noted that it allows Borosil to stem the capital bleed from a structurally declining market and redirect resources toward its home base in India, where solar power growth is surging. India presents a compelling growth story, one analyst said, quoted PTI citing aggressive solar capacity additions, strong infrastructure demand, and supportive policies such as production-linked incentives (PLI) and the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM). India's solar module manufacturing capacity has already crossed 90 gigawatts and is expected to reach 150 gigawatts by March 2027, creating massive potential for domestic solar glass makers. Borosil aims to double down on its solar glass innovation, manufacturing scale, and ESG-aligned clean energy strategy. In May, it announced a Rs 950 crore investment to expand capacity by 600 tonnes per day by setting up two new furnaces of 300 TPD each — a 60% increase from its current 1,000 TPD base. The recent imposition of a five-year anti-dumping duty on solar glass imports from China and Vietnam, effective December 4, 2024, has created a more level playing field for Indian producers. This has already reflected in improved price realisations: average ex-factory selling prices for solar glass in Q4 FY25 rose to Rs 127.6 per millimetre per square metre from Rs 99.6 a year ago — a 28% jump. With its strategic pivot complete, Borosil is now positioned to consolidate its leadership in India's solar glass industry amid favourable policy tailwinds and growing market demand. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
India Gazette
19 minutes ago
- India Gazette
Union Minister Goyal meets trade, commerce delegations in Srinagar, lauds locals for support during Op Sindoor
Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 6 (ANI): Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, during his visit to Srinagar on Sunday, thanked people for their support during Operation Sindoor. 'We are indebted to the people of Kashmir for the way they supported Operation Sindoor and stood firm against terrorism. Like we have decided to end Naxalism by 2026, I am confident that together we will eradicate terrorism from its roots,' Goyal told ANI. Operation Sindoor was initiated on May 7 this year in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 civilians were killed. The Union Minister said he met with trade and commerce delegations today. 'Today, I met many delegations. The state government and the central government are jointly paying attention to all their issues and will give a boost to the industry and trade here like the Modi government brought a Rs 28000 crore scheme earlier,' Goyal said. Addressing reporters, Goyal said that tourism in Kashmir will boom due to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, which will lead to a growth in the economy. 'Now, the Amarnath Yatra has also started, and tourists have also come to Gulmarg. People have done home stays here. Today, home stay will start in thousands of houses, their income will increase, and Kashmir's economy will also grow,' he said. Goyal said that he will try to reduce GST on handicrafts to 5 per cent. 'We have discussed with the people about handicrafts here. Give me its draft. I will try to reduce the GST to 5 per cent so that the production of handicrafts here can increase. There has been a discussion about opening an assembly centre. We will open that too,' he said. On minimum support prices for apples, the Union Minister said, 'We have talked about apple, so its MSP should be Rs 50 and duty Rs 25, and after that a lot of tax is levied, after which the consumer has to pay more than Rs 125-150. For this, I will talk to the Agriculture Minister.' Sharing posts on X, Goyal wrote about his meetings with various delegations. In an X post, he wrote, 'Today, I met with representatives of the Jammu-Kashmir Fruits and Vegetable Processing and Integrated Cold Chain Association (JKPICCA) in Srinagar. During this, discussions were held on strategies to sustain industrial development in the cold chain and agro-processing sectors, which are extremely important for strengthening J&K's agricultural economy and boosting exports.' He also met the representatives of the MSME Development Forum, Jammu and Kashmir and discussed the ease of doing business. 'In Srinagar, a detailed discussion was held with the MSME Development Forum, Jammu-Kashmir, regarding various suggestions to promote local enterprises. During this, measures to enhance the competitiveness of MSMEs, improve Ease of Doing Business, and connect them to the national supply chain were discussed,' Goyal wrote on X. The Union Minister also met a delegation from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Srinagar. 'Today, I met with a delegation from the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Srinagar. During this, meaningful discussions took place on empowering local industries, accelerating economic development, and creating a favourable environment for business,' an X post read. Meanwhile, the Union Minister also extended greetings to the 14th Dalai Lama on the occasion of his 90th birthday. 'I praise the Dalai Lama. 140 crore people of this country respect him and pray for his long life. All of us wish that the injustice done to the people of Tibet must be resolved in the future,' the minister said. Goyal also enjoyed a 'shikara' ride on the Dal Lake in Srinagar. (ANI)
