Bharti Airtel has announced a ₹20,000-crore capital plan for its NBFC arm as it looks to rapidly expand its digital lending business and build a stronger presence in financial services.
The investment will be made in phases, with around 70% of the funds coming from Airtel and the remaining from its promoter group, Bharti Enterprises. The move will strengthen the lending arm’s balance sheet and allow it to offer more credit to customers across segments.
Airtel plans to use its large base of mobile users, digital payments platform and data insights to provide faster and more targeted loans. The company sees a major opportunity in reaching customers and small businesses that still have limited access to formal credit.
The focus will be on fully digital loans, including personal loans, small consumer credit and financing for micro and small enterprises. By using data analytics and its wide distribution network, Airtel aims to speed up approvals and improve risk assessment.
The decision highlights Airtel’s strategy to go beyond telecom services and create new revenue streams. Over the past few years, it has been steadily building its financial services portfolio through Airtel Finance and its payments bank, offering products such as insurance, savings and payments.
The push also comes at a time when telecom companies, fintech firms and traditional lenders are competing to tap India’s fast-growing digital credit market. With millions of active users on its platform, Airtel believes it has a strong advantage in cross-selling financial products.
