India’s second-largest telecom operator Bharti Airtel posted a 43 percent rise in quarterly profit yesterday, driven by new users and the lingering benefits of last year’s price hikes.

The company’s consolidated net profit rose to 59.48 billion rupees ($677.73 million) for the quarter ending June 30, from 41.6 billion rupees a year ago, marking its fifth straight quarter of profit growth, a Reuters report yesterday stated.

Airtel’s industry-leading average revenue per user (ARPU), a key telecom metric, rose 2 percent sequentially and 18.5 percent year-on-year to 250 rupees.

India’s three private mobile carriers — 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 208.8 rupees for the quarter and a 23.3 percent rise in profit. Vodafone Idea, which is yet to report results, had an ARPU of 175 rupees as of March-end.

India’s telecom sector has logged intense competition for market share since Jio’s entry in 2017, with the Reliance group company overtaking peers to command the largest user base.

Airtel’s India user base rose 6.6 percent year-on-year to 436 million as of June 30, compared to Jio’s 498.1 million. Its overall revenue was in line with analyst estimates, rising 28.5 percent to 494.63 billion rupees. Total expenses climbed 15 percent, due to a 23 percent rise in network expenses.