Users Who Can Afford To Pay Rs 2,000 Are Paying Rs 500: Airtel's Sunil Mittal Wants Tariff Repair
Bharti Airtel is in focus.
· NDTV Profit
Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal says India's telecom tariffs need correction at the premium end, arguing that affluent consumers are paying far less than they can afford while operators need stronger cash flows to fund future investments.
The analysis
Bharti Airtel reported Rs 2,000 and Rs 500. Those are the figures as filed — what moves the price is how they sit against what the market already expected, not their absolute size.
Against that, the stock is +0.5% on the day at ₹2,106.00, and has returned +8.6% over three months. It is trading close to its 52-week high, so expectations were already elevated going in. The telecom & media sector has moved +2.7% over the same period, so Bharti Airtel is running 5.9 points ahead of its peers.
For Bharti Airtel, the question is how much of this is already reflected in the price and how much re-rates the telecom & media peer set alongside it.
Market context
- In focus: Bharti Airtel (BHARTIARTL), in Telecom & Media.
- Over three months: Bharti Airtel +8.6% against Telecom & Media +2.7% (5.9 points ahead).
| Company | Price | Day | 1M | 3M | From 52-wk high | Volume vs 20-day | Market cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bharti AirtelBHARTIARTL · Telecom & Media | ₹2,106.00 | +0.5% | +16.6% | +8.6% | -2.6% | 0.6× | — |
Telecom & Media
1M +3.3% · 3M +2.7%
Bharti Airtel
Prices as of 13 Nov 2026, 16:10 IST. Sector moves are the average of the stocks we track in each sector.
In this story
Related coverage
Airtel Payments Bank IPO in pipeline? Bharti Airtel payments business eyes D-Street debut, says report
‘They’re all coming up into good shape’: Sunil Bharti Mittal talks about succession, brings up sons, daughter, nephews
‘Must compliment Elon Musk…’: Sunil Bharti Mittal on pushing the boundaries of satcom connectivity
‘Still by far the cheapest in the world’: Sunil Bharti Mittal says mobile tariffs should rise to ₹350 a month
The Sunil Mittal interview: Airtel debt-free by 2029. Buybacks next?