Bharti Airtel shares decline nearly 2.8%, trading around Rs. 2,100 after a series of large block deals triggered profit-booking. Investors reacted to reports of a massive equity transaction worth nearly Rs. 7,400 crore involving promoter-linked entities.
In the opening session, Airtel shares slipped sharply from the previous close of Rs. 2,161, touching an intraday low near Rs. 2,100 apiece.
Market data indicated that more than 3.43 crore shares, accounting for roughly 0.6% of the company’s equity, changed hands through multiple block deals.
According to a report, Indian Continent Investment Ltd (ICIL), one of Airtel’s key promoter entities, was the likely seller, offloading shares at around Rs. 2,096-Rs. 2,108 per share, representing a 3% discount to Tuesday’s closing price.
By 9:20 am, around 0.32 million shares were traded on the BSE and another 0.02 million shares on the NSE.
This block deal marks Airtel’s third significant promoter-level stake sale in 2025. Earlier this month, the company witnessed a Rs. 10,800 crore transaction in which Singtel sold about 0.8% of its holding.
Before that, ICIL had executed two major deals:
August 2025: Sale of 0.98% stake for Rs. 11,227 crore
February 2025: Sale of 0.84% stake for Rs. 8,485 crore, part of which was acquired by Bharti Telecom
With this recent sale, ICIL’s holding is expected to fall from 1.48% to 0.92%, while overall promoter ownership in Airtel has now reduced to 50.27%, down from 53.11% at the start of the year.
Promoter stake movements come at a time when Airtel’s founder is reportedly pursuing a deal to acquire up to 49% in Haier India.
Despite today’s weakness, Airtel remains one of the stronger telecom performers of the year. The stock gained 15% over the past six months and 35% over the last year, aided by steady subscriber additions, tariff discipline, and consistent growth in high-ARPU customers.
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Airtel’s financial results for the September quarter further underline its strong fundamentals. The company reported a 14.2% sequential jump in consolidated net profit to Rs. 6,791 crore, surpassing analyst expectations.
Revenues for the period rose 5.4% to Rs. 52,145 crore, while EBITDA grew 6.2% to Rs. 29,561 crore. The operating margin improved to 56.7%, reflecting higher efficiencies across business segments.