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Bharti Hexacom LtdQ1 FY25

Bharti Hexacom Ltd Q1 FY25 Earnings Call Analysis

Revenue, margin, capex, fundraise and order book outlook from management commentary.

Price: 1,483P/E: 44.4Market Cap: ₹78.1K CrSector: Telecom - Services

Management growth scorecard

Revenue

Category 3

Margin

Category 3

Fundraise

N/A

Order

Yes

Capex

Yes

2 of 4 growth signals are positive.

Full analysis

Revenue guidance

Category 3
  • Postpaid net adds grew by about 600,000 this quarter, expected to step up further due to a large base of high-value users and prepaid to postpaid migration, especially via family plans.
  • Broadband segment growth is strong with 8.1 lakh customer adds and fiber home passes expanding; plans to increase fiber rollout beyond 2.5 million home passes per quarter to capture market opportunity.
  • B2B business growing with focus on Cloud, cybersecurity, managed services, and data centers; digital business growing at 25-30% and expected to ramp up further.
  • Digital platforms and AI integration in B2B expected to drive productivity and identify new growth avenues.
  • Airtel Business underlying performance showing traction with strategic shift away from low margin commoditized services.
  • Data center capacity is being doubled over three years with significant investment to grow market share (currently below 12%).
  • Overall growth traction sustained with tariff repair and digital expansion seen as key drivers.

Margin guidance

Category 3
  • Bharti Airtel expects growth momentum to continue, particularly in postpaid and broadband segments.
  • Postpaid net adds were about 600,000 this quarter, expected to increase as tariff structures stabilize.
  • Broadband growth is strong, with plans to increase fiber home passes from 1.7 million to over 2.5 million quarterly.
  • B2B business, especially digital services like Cloud and data centers, is targeted for substantial growth acceleration.
  • Industry needs further tariff repair for sustained financial health and to support investment and better ROCE.
  • Capex will moderate in FY2026 but remain focused on future-proofing and digital capabilities.
  • Operating free cash flow is strong (~31,400 Crores), with disciplined capital spending and deleveraging supporting earnings growth.
  • Dividend policy and capital allocation remain flexible to balance debt reduction and shareholder returns.
  • Overall, strong revenue, EBITDA growth, and margin improvement bode well for future earnings and EPS expansion.

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Fundraise plans

  • There is no explicit mention of any new fundraising through debt or equity in the current transcript.
  • The company is focused on deleveraging by prepaying high-cost debt and managing its balance sheet prudently.
  • They emphasize balancing objectives between stepping up dividends and deleveraging high-cost debt (including DoT debt and perpetual bonds).
  • The company maintains flexibility in capital allocation, including using free cash flow for dividends, debt repayment, buybacks, or investments as appropriate.
  • No specific plans for raising fresh capital through equity or debt were disclosed for the near term.
  • The company appears confident in its cash flow and capital structure and aims to moderate capex going forward, reducing the need for immediate fundraising.

Order book

Yes
  • The order book on the core connectivity side looks strong.
  • The order book on the digital side also appears strong.
  • The wholesale and commodity side of the order book continues to be under pressure.
  • The global side, particularly related to cables, is beginning to improve compared to last year.
  • Low-margin businesses are being shed, with a substantial portion already shed and some more expected to be shed next quarter.
  • Overall, the business is expected to perform better this year compared to last year.

Capex plans

Yes
  • Capex in FY2026 is expected to trend downwards compared to FY2025, due to completed rural rollout and slowed radio rollout; transport capex will continue steadily.
  • Increased investments recently seen in Airtel Business capex, mainly on Cloud and data centers.
  • Data center capacity is expanding significantly, with plans to double capacity in three years; substantial new capacity coming onboard in FY2026 and FY2027.
  • Cloud investments include the launch of Telco-Grade Cloud in June, aiming to capture growing enterprise demand.
  • Investments continue in OPGW fiber infrastructure to enhance network resilience.
  • Fiber rollout targeting an increase in home passes from 1.7 million to over 2.5 million per quarter to capitalize on broadband growth.
  • Planned cautious deployment of 5G Standalone (SA) technology with focus initially on fixed wireless access before mobile.
  • Strategic investments in digital businesses including Cybersecurity, Financial Services, IoT, and CPaaS are ongoing.

How does Bharti Hexacom Ltd rank vs peers in Telecom - Services?

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1Bharti Hexacom Ltd
Rev 3Mar 3

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