Airtel becomes India’s second most valuable company:Overtakes HDFC Bank; market cap nears ₹12 lakh crore

Bharti Airtel became India’s second most valuable company by market capitalization on May 18, surpassing HDFC Bank. On May 18, Bharti Airtel’s shares surged by up to 2%, taking the company’s share price to ₹1,953.8. With this surge, Airtel’s total market cap increased to approximately ₹12 lakh crore, while HDFC Bank’s market cap stands at ₹11.8 lakh crore. Airtel’s shares rose 10% in the past week During the past week, Bharti Airtel’s shares have seen a 10% increase. During the same period, HDFC Bank’s shares have only risen by 1%. Currently, the country’s largest company is Reliance Industries, with a market cap of ₹18.04 lakh crore. HDFC Bank hurt by Chairman’s resignation Private sector HDFC Bank’s part-time Chairman Atanu Chakraborty has resigned from his position. Since this resignation, the bank’s shares have been severely affected. During the last six months, HDFC Bank’s shares have recorded a steep decline of 22%. Airtel’s Net Profit Declined 33.5% in Fourth Quarter In the January-March quarter of Financial Year 2026 (Q4 FY26), Bharti Airtel’s consolidated net profit declined by 33.5% on an annual basis to ₹7,325 crore. In the same quarter last year, the company’s consolidated profit attributable to parent owners was ₹11,021.8 crore. However, on a quarterly basis, the company’s profit has increased by 10.4%. Airtel’s Revenue from Operations Surges 15.6% The country’s second-largest telecom company’s operations revenue increased by 15.6% on an annual basis to ₹55,383.2 crore in Q4 FY26, which was ₹47,876.2 crore in the same quarter last year. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, the company’s revenue recorded a growth of 2.5%. On an annual basis, Bharti Airtel’s India revenue increased by 7.7% to ₹39,566 crore. The company’s India mobile revenue grew by 8.3%, primarily due to better realization and growing customer base. During this quarter, Airtel’s Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) was recorded at ₹257, which was ₹245 in the same quarter last year. Future Plan: Company to build 56 edge data centers A top official of the company has informed that Bharti Airtel is working on a plan to expand its business in this segment. Under this, 56 edge data centers will be established in the next 18 to 24 months. Bharti Airtel’s Executive Vice Chairman Gopal Vittal shared information about the company’s future plans during the earnings call for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026. He said that the company will focus on investing in data centers, strengthening the optical fiber cable network, and expanding the recently announced Non-Banking Financial Services (NBFC). The company has announced an investment of ₹20,000 crore in Non-Banking Financial Services. What is Average Revenue Per User? Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) is an essential earnings metric for telecom companies. It shows how much money the company is earning from one average customer every month. Airtel’s ARPU has increased from ₹245 to ₹257, which demonstrates its strong position. What are Edge Data Centers? These are small data centers that are located closer to users and devices. They are used to increase data processing speed and reduce internet lag (delay), which provides better connectivity to customers.