RCom registers ninth straight fall in quarterly profit

Debt-laden Reliance Communications (RCom) has reported a 43.49 per cent decline in its consolidated net profit, at Rs252 crore, for fiscal second quarter ended 30 September 2011, the ninth consecutive fall in quarterly profits.

RCom had posted a net profit (after adjustment of share of minority interest and associates) of Rs446 crore for the same quarter a year ago, the Anil Ambani group company said in a BSE filing.

Bharti Airtel, the country's largest telecom service provider, had posted a 38 per cent decline in consolidated net profit, at Rs1,027 crore, for the September quarter. This was the GSM operator's seventh straight quarterly drop in net profit, as the New Delhi-based firm was hit by higher interest costs and foreign exchange losses.

The mobile operator's total income from operations fell 4.59 per cent to Rs4,792 crore during the period under review from Rs5,023 crore recorded during the same period a year ago.

The country's second biggest mobile operator by subscribers said its net income from operations fell to Rs4,792 crore during the period under review, from Rs5,023 crore posted during the September quarter of the previous financial year.

RCom continued to be free cash flow positive. It generated operational cash flow (EBITDA) of Rs1,605 crore in the quarter.