NEW DELHI, Feb. 23 (GeokHub) — Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel announced Monday it will invest 200 billion rupees (approximately $2.2 billion) into its financial services arm over the next few years, accelerating its expansion into India’s fast-growing digital lending sector.
The capital will be infused into its subsidiary, Airtel Money, which recently secured a non-banking financial company (NBFC) license from the Reserve Bank of India on February 13.
The move positions Airtel to deepen its presence in consumer lending, payments, and broader financial services.
Airtel’s expansion comes as competition heats up in India’s non-bank lending market. Major conglomerates such as Jio Financial Services and established players like Bajaj Finance are scaling their retail credit operations, targeting India’s vast and increasingly digital consumer base.
By leveraging its large telecom subscriber network, Airtel aims to cross-sell financial products and build a stronger fintech ecosystem.
In a press release, the company said the initiative would “leverage the large Airtel customer base to build the next growth engine for the company and further diversify its portfolio.”
Diversification Beyond Telecom
The investment marks another step in Airtel’s strategy to expand beyond traditional telecommunications. In recent years, the company has invested in data centers, cloud services, and enterprise solutions, seeking new revenue streams amid competitive pricing pressure in India’s telecom market.
Under the announced plan, Airtel will contribute 70% of the 200 billion rupees capital infusion, while its key shareholder Bharti Enterprises will provide the remaining share.
