Airtel tops ARPU in Q3 FY26; Jio, Vi signal price hikes

Bharti Airtel retained its lead on ARPU, reporting a figure of Rs 259 at the end of Q3 FY26. Reliance Jio followed with an ARPU of Rs 213.7, while Vodafone Idea reported Rs 186. Both Jio and Vi continue to trail Airtel on this metric, highlighting the gap they are attempting to close through pricing and customer mix improvements.

Despite its lower ARPU, Reliance Jio reported higher net profit for the quarter, with earnings of Rs 7,629 crore compared to Airtel’s Rs 6,631 crore. Vodafone Idea, meanwhile, remained in the red, posting a loss of Rs 5,286 crore, although the scale of its losses has narrowed compared with previous quarters.

ARPU growth across the sector is expected to accelerate in the coming months due to anticipated tariff hikes. Market sentiment has become more optimistic, particularly in relation to Reliance Jio, amid expectations surrounding its planned initial public offering. Jio, the largest telecom operator in India and one of the largest globally, is expected to raise around Rs 50,000 crore through its IPO in the first quarter of FY27. The offering is likely to include a mix of primary and secondary shares, potentially allowing early investors to monetise part of their holdings.

In the interim, operators are increasingly opting for quieter forms of price increases, including plan restructuring and selective benefit withdrawals. Vodafone Idea has recently revised the availability of its unlimited 5G data offer for prepaid users, restricting access to higher-priced plans in several circles. While the benefit was initially available on plans starting at Rs 299 as part of an introductory offer, updates on the company’s website indicate that this is no longer applicable in regions such as Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana and Mumbai. Customers in these areas are now required to subscribe to more expensive plans to access unlimited 5G data.

A similar trend is evident in the international roaming segment. Bharti Airtel has increased the price of its prepaid Global International Roaming pack from Rs 4,000 to Rs 4,999, representing a rise of nearly 25 per cent. This revision marks the first notable tariff increase by an Indian telecom operator in 2026. Although Airtel has not issued an official announcement, the updated pricing is already reflected across its recharge platforms.