Vodafone Idea’s (Vi) net loss narrowed by 5.3 per cent to ₹6,609.3 crore in the third quarter of FY25, as compared to the loss of ₹6,985.9 crore incurred in the same quarter last year, on lower finance costs and growth in ARPU numbers. Revenue from operations grew 4 per cent annually to ₹11,117.3 crore in Q3FY25.

Sequentially, loss narrowed by 7.8 per cent, while revenue from operations grew 1.6 per cent.

Average revenue per user (ARPU) grew by 12 per cent annually and 4.4 per cent sequentially to ₹156. However, subscriber base declined by 15.4 million users or 7 per cent annually. Sequentially too, subscriber base declined by 2 per cent.

The debt from banks reduced by ₹5,290 crore during the last one year and stood at ₹ 2,330 crore as against the ₹ 7,620 crore reported in Q3FY24. The cash and bank balance stood at ₹ 1,209 crore as of December 31, 2024. Meanwhile, 4G population coverage increased by 41 million, 4G data capacity increased by 24 per cent and 4G speeds increased by around 28 per cent. The company added that the commercial launch of 5G services in Mumbai is planned for March 2025 and Delhi, Bangalore, Chandigarh and Patna for April 2025.

Phased 5G rollout

Akshaya Moondra, CEO, Vodafone Idea Ltd, said, “We are driving investments and the velocity of capex deployment is set to accelerate in the coming quarters. Concurrently, the phased rollout of 5G services is underway, targeting key geographies. We are pleased to report highest quarterly cash EBITDA since merger of Rs. 24.5 billion [₹2,450 crore], registering a YoY growth of around 15 per cent. With our intensifying investments, we anticipate further improvement in both operational and financial performance. With the recent equity infusion of Rs. 19.1 billion [₹1,910 crore] from one of our promoters, we have now secured approximately Rs.260 billion in fresh equity capital over the past 10 months. In parallel, we continue to engage with lenders for debt financing, aligning with our planned network expansion investment of Rs. 500–550 billion over a three-year period. The government’s decision on the bank guarantee waiver underscores its ongoing support for the telecom sector.”

Vi’s EBITDA margin increased to 42.4 per cent in the third quarter as against 41.6 per cent reported in the second quarter of FY25.