Idea Cellular reported a 14 per cent increase in quarterly profit, the third straight quarter of earnings growth for the country's No 3 mobile carrier by revenue, though the rise was smaller than expected.

Idea, part of the Aditya Birla conglomerate, said consolidated net profit rose to Rs 2.29 billion for its fiscal third quarter ended December 31, from Rs 2.01 billion reported a year earlier.

Analysts had expected the company to report net profit of Rs 2.65 billion, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.