BSNL records first back-to-back quarter profits in FY25 turnaround

BSNL had made a loss of Rs 849 crore in the fourth quarter of the previous financial year. The company’s loss for the full financial year 2024-25 has now been reduced by 58 per cent to Rs 2,247 crore in FY-25 from Rs 5,370 crore in FY-24

New Delhi: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on Tuesday reported a net profit of Rs 280 crore for the January-March quarter, making it the second consecutive profitable quarter after the loss-making telecom major surged out of the red for the first time in the October-December quarter of 2024-25.

BSNL had made a loss of Rs 849 crore in the fourth quarter of the previous financial year. The company’s loss for the full financial year 2024-25 has now been reduced by 58 per cent to Rs 2,247 crore in FY-25 from Rs 5,370 crore in FY-24.

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The government-owned telecom major’s total income shot by 10 per cent to Rs 23,427 crore during 2024-25 from Rs 21,302 crore in 2023 -24. The government’s support through strategic revival initiatives, including spectrum allocation and capital infusion, has played a key role in bolstering the company’s operations.

The company recorded an EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) of Rs 5,396 crore in 2024-25, up from Rs 2,164 crore in 2023-24. The company’s margin increased to 23.01 per cent, up from 10.15 per cent in FY24.

BSNL also succeeded in cutting expenditure costs during the financial year by 3 per cent to Rs 25,841 crore from Rs 26,673 crore in 2023-24. It has been aggressively expanding its network with an accelerated 4G rollout and fibre-optic infrastructure upgrades.

It has also strengthened connectivity across urban and rural areas and introduced customer-centric digital innovations with national WiFi roaming for seamless internet access across networks.

“The sharp turnaround is testimony to professional management, government support and relentless focus on both the top line and the bottom line. BSNL is not just being revived, but redefined,” BSNL Chairman and Managing Director A Robert J Ravi said.

“With disciplined cost control and accelerated 4G/5G deployment, we are confident of sustaining this growth trajectory and delivering affordable, high-quality connectivity to every Indian, to whom we are highly indebted. We will not be chasing profits as our end goal. We will be redefining telecom excellence in public service. When we consistently do the right things – provide excellent service, reach the unreached, innovate for inclusivity – profits will naturally follow as a byproduct of that excellence,” he added.