India, Aug. 6 -- In the first quarter of FY26, Bharti Airtel delivered robust financial and operational results, reaffirming its position as one of India's leading telecom providers. The company reported a notable 18.5% year-on-year (YoY) increase in Average Revenue Per User (ARPU), rising from Rs 211 in Q1 FY25 to Rs 250 in Q1 FY26, the highest in the Indian telecom sector. This growth reflects Airtel's strategic focus on premiumising its portfolio and targeting high-value, digitally active consumers.

The ARPU growth was underpinned by a significant rise in smartphone adoption and steady expansion in the postpaid segment. During the quarter, Airtel added 0.7 million net postpaid subscribers and nearly 4 million smartphone data users, ta...