Bharti Airtel, India's second-largest mobile carrier, announced a significant investment of 200 billion rupees, approximately $2.2 billion, into its financial services arm over the coming years. This capital infusion is designated for its subsidiary, Airtel Money, which recently secured a non-banking financial company (NBFC) license from the Reserve Bank of India.
The expansion signals a strategic push into digital lending, a rapidly growing sector in India. Airtel's move intensifies competition with major players like Jio Financial Services and Bajaj Finance, who are also scaling their retail credit operations.
This investment further diversifies Bharti Airtel's business portfolio beyond its core telecom services, strengthening its presence in areas such as data centers, cloud, and enterprise solutions. The capital will be contributed 70% by Bharti Airtel and 30% by key shareholder Bharti Enterprises. The company stated this initiative aims to leverage its extensive customer base to drive future growth and diversify its offerings.