New Delhi, May 14 -- Bharti Airtel Ltdclocked a fivefold jump in March quarter profit thanks to a one-time gain, even as revenue per user, a key metric of profitability, remained flat. Net profit at India's second-largest telecom operator stood at Rs.11,022 crore against Rs.2,072 crore a year earlier,as it added a deferred tax benefit of Rs.5,913 crore. However, compared to the December quarter when it gained from the Indus Towers consolidation, profit was 25.4% lower. Consolidated Q4 revenue of Rs.47,876 crore was up 27.3% on-year and 6.1% on-quarter, driven by higher India business, revenue growth in Africa, and the full impact of Indus Towers consolidation. The India mobile services business, which contributes 56% to overall revenues, saw revenue growth of 20.6% on-year to Rs.26,617 crore, driven by higher tariffs, smartphone user additions and premiumization efforts, the company said. Airtel Business, which houses services to enterprises and contributes 11% to total revenue, fell 2.7% YoY to Rs.5,315 crore. Overall, the revenue figures missed estimates of Rs.49,200 crore, according to average estimates of five brokerage firms. "Airtel Business revenue moderation was in line with our strategy outlined last quarter to shed our low-margin wholesale business while underlying growth continues to remain steady," vice-chairman and managing director Gopal Vittal said, adding Airtel ended FY25 "on a strong note." Last quarter, the company had announced plans to exit the low-margin wholesale commodity voice and messaging business. Airtel's India average revenue per user (Arpu) was flat at Rs.245 in the March quarter. In comparison, India's No. 1 carrier Reliance Jio's Arpu rose to Rs.206.2 from Rs.203.3 in the December quarter. Vodafone Idea is yet to release its quarterly figures. Airtel's revenue miss and flat Arpu assume significance as rival Reliance Jio intensifies efforts to capture market share. At the same time, investors are closely watching the entry of satellite broadband players like Starlink, whose presence could significantly alter the competitive landscape of the telecom sector in the coming years. Crisil Ratings in a note said that the industry Arpu is expected to rise by Rs.20-25 to reach Rs.225-230 by the end of this fiscal, assuming tariffs remain stable. "Around 55-60% of the incremental Arpu is expected to come from rural subscribers," said Anand Kulkarni, director at Crisil Ratings. According to Kulkarni, relatively lower internet penetration in rural regions will drive migration of subscribers to data plans....