Excitel Posts ₹40 Cr Profit in FY26, Targets Wi-Fi 6, IPTV for Growth
Indian ISP Excitel reported a profit of ₹40 crore in FY26, rebounding from a ₹74 crore loss, with revenues reaching ₹530 crore. The company plans to increase its subscriber base by 20% to 1.2 million by FY27-28 by deploying Wi-Fi 6 gear and IPTV offerings. This strategy aims to shift towards premium services to compete in dense urban markets against incumbents like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
Key Takeaways
- Excitel transitioned from a ₹74 crore loss in FY25 to a ₹40 crore profit in FY26, with FY26 revenue at ₹530 crore.
- The ISP aims to increase its subscriber base by 20% to 1.2 million by FY27-28, targeting a long-term goal of 10 million.
- Excitel is pivoting from a value-first to a premium services strategy, focusing on Wi-Fi 6 and mesh routers from vendors like Nokia and GX Group.
- New CEO Varun Pasricha attributes profitability to operational discipline, asset reuse, and withdrawal from non-core markets.
Why It Matters
Excitel's pivot to profitability and a premium strategy based on Wi-Fi 6 and IPTV signifies a broader trend among regional ISPs to compete beyond price. By focusing on advanced hardware and services, they aim to attract higher-value subscribers and strengthen their position. This move directly challenges dominance from incumbents like Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, who hold 56% of India's wireline market. Observers should track Excitel's subscriber growth rate and average revenue per user (ARPU) from IPTV and Wi-Fi 6 deployments to gauge the effectiveness of this premiumization strategy against market leaders.
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