India's top mobile operator, Bharti Airtel is facing difficulties in maintaining growth as the price war in the world's fastest growing market has intensified.

The company reported its slowest profit growth in more than three years. The Indian market will double to 1 billion users by 2014.

Net profit rose 2% to Rs 22.1 billion in its fiscal third quarter ended December according to the US accounting standards. The pace of growth was slowest in net profit since at least April-June
2006/07.

Revenue of the firm rose 1% to Rs 97.72 billion. The company saw a fall in average revenue per user fell 29% to Rs 230 in the third quarter as more than half of the new users came from rural areas with lower spending average.

The entry of international players in the segment like Japan's NTT DoCoMo and Russian Sistema has put pressure on call rates.

Airtel has agreed to acquire 70% of Bangladesh's Warid Telecom in its first international acquisition and company is to look for more opportunities for investment in the emerging markers.

Billionaire Sunil Mittal controls Bharti Airtel who started small by selling bicycle parts in India and then entered into the telecom sector in mid 1990s. The company added 8.4 million mobile users in Oct-Dec to reach a total of 119 million by end-December.

The company is valued at 27 billion and its shares gained 2.4% in the BSE which declined on the day. The company has set up a new unit to concentrate on international expansion.