What to expect from Airtel’s Q4 earnings

Bharti Airtel is expected to report an improvement in its average revenue per user (ARPU) for the second consecutive quarter after the company rolled out minimum recharge plans for users to stay on its network at a time when it battles cheap tariffs from rival Reliance Jio.

Airtel will announce its earnings for the March quarter today. Reliance Jio posted a profit of ₹840 crore for the March quarter. In the December quarter, Airtel’s profit had plunged 72% to ₹86 crore from ₹306 crore a year earlier.

The operator’s topline has continued to remain under pressure after Jio’s entry in September 2016 brought down tariffs to rock-bottom.