Fitch sees Airtel’s revenue rising, capex at $8 billion

Bharti Airtel’s revenue and operating income (read: Ebitda) is likely to grow by mid-single digit percentages in FY20, during which the Sunil Mittal-led telco is also estimated to pump in a whopping $4 billion (Rs 28,000 crore) of capex to bolster 4G networks and fibre infrastructure, ratings agency, Fitch said.
The global ratings agency said the strong revenue show would be spurred by better average revenue per user (ARPU) in the Indian mobile segment coupled with steady growth in Africa and business-to-business (B2B) segments.
Fitch estimates Airtel’s India mobile business Ebitda will increase 15-20 per cent this fiscal, driven by strong growth in data usage and higher blended ARPU, especially as competition eases and incumbents focus on profitability.