BSNL Reports Profit After 17 Years; EBITDA Doubles in 4 Years – Scindia Calls It a Milestone
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) reported a net profit of Rs. 262 crore in the October-December quarter of fiscal 2024-25 (Q3FY25), marking its return to profitability after nearly 17 years. The state-owned telecom services provider returned to the black in the December quarter of FY25 for the first time since 2007, when it posted a quarterly net profit.
Telecommunications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia described BSNL’s quarterly performance as a “significant turning point” for the telecom giant, which has concentrated on growing its service offerings and customer base. According to Scindia, BSNL improved on various counts, with roughly 14-18% increase in mobility, FTTH, and leased line service offerings.
BSNL Q3 Results: Key Metrics.
BSNL’s subscriber count increased to almost nine crore in December from 8.4 crore in June. “Today is a watershed moment for BSNL and the Indian telecom industry…For the first time in 17 years, BSNL reported a quarterly profit in the third quarter of fiscal year 2024-25. “The last time BSNL made a quarterly profit was in 2007,” Scindia remarked of the company’s earnings.
BSNL’s mobility services revenue climbed 15%, fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) revenue jumped 18%, and leased line services revenue increased 14% compared to the same quarter in the previous fiscal year. The Q3F25 report emphasized BSNL’s “focus on innovation, network expansion, cost optimisation, and customer-centric service improvements”.
BSNL has reduced financial expenses and spending, resulting in losses of over Rs. 1,800 crore compared to the previous year. To improve the user experience, BSNL has launched services such as National WiFi Roaming, BiTV—Free Entertainment for All Mobile Customers, IFTV for All FTTH Customers, and the first private 5G connectivity for mining.
“We certainly hope that this year will not just see an increase in revenues at the end of the fourth quarter for the full financial year, but will also (see BSNL) keep expenditure and costs under control and significantly reduce losses from the figures of last year,” said Scindia. Over the past four years, BSNL’s EBITDA has increased from Rs. 1,100 crore to Rs. 2,100 crore in FY23-24.
This quarter’s return to profitability marks a critical milestone for BSNL as it launches 4G services to its consumers across India. Out of 100,000 towers, 75,000 have been erected and around 60,000 have been commissioned. “We hope to have all 100,000 towers operational by June,” added Scindia. BSNL lowered financial costs and spending, resulting in a loss reduction of about Rs. 1,800 crore compared to the previous year.
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