Telecom stocks attracted buying interest on Thursday, October 15, with Bharti Airtel leading the gains, while Vodafone Idea and Reliance Industries also traded higher.
The sector remained in focus after Reliance Industries’ subsidiary, Jio Platforms, filed its Red Herring Prospectus (RHP) for its proposed initial public offering (IPO), bringing renewed attention to the valuation potential of India’s telecom and digital services market.
Airtel shares lead telecom rally
Bharti Airtel shares rose 3.6% to an intraday high of ₹1,863.85. The stock remains 14% below its 52-week high of ₹2,174.70, recorded in November 2025. It touched a 52-week low of ₹1,726.05 on October 1, 2026.
Airtel shares have gained 1% over the past month but have declined 3.5% in three months, 0.25% in six months and 6% over the past year.
Vodafone Idea, RIL shares also gain
Vodafone Idea shares advanced 1.2% to an intraday high of ₹12.85. The stock had touched a 52-week high of ₹15.78 in September 2026 and a 52-week low of ₹8.14 in April 2026.
The telecom stock has fallen 11% over the past month and 6% in three months. However, it has gained 36% over six months and 47% in the past year.
shares rose around 1% to an intraday high of ₹1,186 after Jio Platforms filed its RHP. Despite the uptick, the stock remains under pressure over longer periods.
RIL shares are around 26% below their 52-week high of ₹1,611.20, recorded in January 2026. The stock touched a 52-week low of ₹1,152.30 in October 2026.
The shares have declined more than 4% over the past month, 9% in three months, 12% in six months and 14% over the past year. Over five years, Reliance Industries shares have fallen around 4%.
The proposed Jio Platforms IPO has brought the group’s telecom and digital operations into focus, with investors watching how the listing could influence the valuation of Reliance Industries. However, the three stocks have delivered contrasting returns across time frames, making their recent gains an important development to track alongside their broader price trends.
Jio IPO: Key details investors should know
Jio Platforms’ public issue is expected to be one of India’s largest IPOs. Here are the key details from the company’s offer documents:
IPO dates: The issue will open for subscription on Wednesday, October 21, and close on Friday, October 23, 2026. The shares are scheduled to debut on the stock exchanges on October 28, subject to the applicable listing process.
Price band and issue size: Jio Platforms has set a price band of ₹1,065– ₹1,119 per equity share. The company expects to raise between ₹28,755 crore and ₹30,213 crore through the issue.
Fresh issue, with no offer for sale: The IPO comprises a fresh issue of up to 27 crore equity shares, with no offer-for-sale component. Existing shareholders will therefore not sell their holdings through this offering. The revised issue size is nearly 14% lower than the approximately ₹35,000 crore indicated in the draft papers.
India’s largest public issue: Even at the revised size, the offering is positioned to surpass Hyundai Motor India’s ₹27,870 crore IPO in 2024, potentially making it India’s largest-ever public issue in rupee terms.
Minimum application and employee discount: Investors can bid for a minimum of 12 shares and in multiples of 12 thereafter. Eligible employees applying under the employee reservation portion will receive a discount of ₹54 per share.
Use of proceeds: Jio Platforms intends to use up to ₹27,500 crore of the proceeds to repay certain borrowings of its material subsidiary, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd (RJIL).
Shareholding and listing: Reliance Industries owns 66.43% of Jio Platforms. Meta Platforms holds 9.98% through Jaadhu Holdings, while Google International owns 7.73%. Other investors include KKR, Vista Equity Partners, Silver Lake, Mubadala Investment Co, General Atlantic and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. The shares are proposed to be listed on both the BSE and NSE.
What should you do?
Among the three stocks, Reliance Industries (RIL) is expected to benefit the most from the issue, given its direct association with Reliance Jio. The IPO could unlock value for RIL shareholders and improve visibility into Jio’s valuation.
Giving a technical outlook, Jigar S Patel, Senior Manager – Technical Research, Anand Rathi Share and Stock Brokers Limited noted that Reliance Industries is displaying signs of improving short-term momentum, with a bullish divergence forming on the daily chart.
This technical pattern indicates that the underlying selling pressure may be weakening, creating the possibility of a recovery in the stock. The bullish divergence suggests that momentum is gradually shifting in favour of the bulls, although confirmation through price action remains important, he pointed out.
According to the expert, the immediate support is placed at ₹1,160, which will be a crucial level to monitor.
“As long as the stock sustains above this support zone, the possibility of further recovery remains intact. On the upside, ₹1,230 is the key resistance level. A decisive breakout and sustained trading above ₹1,230 could trigger fresh buying interest and open the door for further upside.
Until the resistance is breached, the stock may remain in a consolidation phase. Traders should closely monitor price action around ₹1,230 for confirmation of a fresh bullish breakout,” he suggested.
Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before making any investment decisions.
