NTT Corp. posted the nation's largest operating profit for the fiscal first half of 2003.

The telecom giant's group operating profit in the April-September period grew 1.6 percent from a year earlier to 836.6 billion yen, mainly due to cost-cutting efforts by its regional fixed-line units, according to results released Tuesday.

Its nearest rival was Toyota Motor Corp., whose operating profit in the same period came to 767.8 billion yen.