STAR BUSINESS REPORT

Robi Axiata posted a sharp rise in profit in the first quarter of 2026, as AI-driven personalised offers and disciplined cost management cushioned the impact of adverse economic conditions.

The country’s second-largest mobile operator’s profit after tax rose 85 percent year-on-year (YoY) to Tk 232.3 crore in the January-March quarter, the company said in a statement released yesterday.

Revenue reached Tk 2,531.2 crore, up 8.1 percent YoY. Earnings per share stood at Tk 0.44, up 85.2 percent, it added.

EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) reached Tk 1,350.3 crore with a 53.3 percent margin, reflecting 21.6 percent YoY growth. The EBITDA margin expanded 5.9 percentage points over the same period.

According to Robi, the EBITDA growth indicates the company’s high level of discipline in cost management, producing desired results.

Capital expenditures stood at Tk 349.5 crore at the end of the quarter. Total payments to the government exchequer reached Tk 2,073.6 crore, accounting for 82 percent of quarterly revenue.

The telecom operator’s active subscriber base during the period stood at 5.74 crore. Data and 4G subscribers numbered 4.45 crore and 4.03 crore respectively.

Average monthly data consumption per user rose 15.4 percent YoY to 8.95 GB, and 6.1 percent quarter-on-quarter.

The operator stated that it had over 19,300 4G sites at the end of Q1, covering 98.98 percent of the population.

Quarter-on-quarter, revenue dipped 2.1 percent, which the company attributed to fewer calendar days during the period.

“We have registered 8.1 percent YoY growth under very adverse socio-economic conditions intensified by the war in West Asia [Middle East],” said Managing Director and CEO Ziad Shatara.

“Our AI-driven personalised offers, supported by sustained investment in network improvement, are producing the desired result,” he added.