After failing to agree on a valuation, the family office of billionaire Sunil Mittal has pulled out of talks to buy a 49% share in Haier Appliances (India). The Chinese parent business of Haier India, Haier Group, was looking for a valuation of roughly $2 billion (INR 17,100 crore).
However, various media reports claimed that the bids the company received were much lower, with offers of about $600 million (INR 5,280 cr)—much less than the ask. Owing to these developments and due to a decline in valuation, Korean electronics powerhouse LG Electronics India may reduce the size of its initial public offering (IPO) from INR 15,000 crore to perhaps INR 12,000-13,000 crore, according to a source. Instead of selling a 15% interest as originally planned, the Korean corporation may now sell less than 15%.
Chinese Companies Scaling Back in India
According to media sources, Haier India may also think about going public, but no decision has been made yet. The Chinese business has been considering an exit for a number of months, and it has even had initial discussions with the biggest conglomerate in India, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL). The proposed transaction was a part of a larger trend of Chinese companies reducing their exposure to India.
The Sajjan Jindal group agreed to purchase the majority of MG Motor India from Chinese automaker SAIC Motor last year. The Ant company used block transactions to withdraw its $246 million investment in Paytm in May.
Haier’s Journey in India
Since its 2004 entry into the Indian market, Haier has had a 14% market share in the refrigerator industry. It is still seen in single digits in air conditioners, televisions, and washing machines.
Its net sales in the calendar year 2023 (CY23) were INR 6,305.5 crore, up from INR 5,429 crore in 2022, and its net profit was INR 155.6 crore, up from a loss of INR 63.5 crore in 2022. The global statistics and business intelligence firm Statista projects that the Indian household appliances market will reach $64.3 billion in 2025 and increase at a 7.3% cumulative annual growth rate (CAGR) through 2030.
Quick
Shots
•Haier sought around $2B (INR 17,100
crore), offers came in at around $600M (INR 5,280 crore).
•LG Electronics India may cut IPO size
from INR 15,000 crore to INR 12,000–13,000 crore.
•Haier exploring IPO; Reliance was in
early talks. Part of broader trend of Chinese firms scaling back in India.
•Sajjan Jindal group buying MG Motor
India stake; Ant Group exiting Paytm with $246M block deal.
•Haier’s net sales around 6,305.5
crore (vs. INR 5,429 crore in 2022); Net profit INR 155.6 crore (vs. INR 63.5
crore loss in 2022).
Bharti’s journey from a humble beginning to one of the most renowned personalities in the global telecom industry is, indeed, an inspiring entrepreneurship cum vision story. His vision is to establish the foundation of Bharti Enterprises, which is expected to revolutionize mobile connectivity, digitally reshape India, and create paths across the world.
Bharti’s success story is really the tale of adaptation and innovation combined with astute investments. Bharti shone in his international alliances, paving the way to worldwide expansion and successfully traversing the developmental changes of technology as a futurist innovator. He really was able to think ahead, lead the vision, and work hard for excellence, which made Airtel come into existence. He also saw some remarkable milestones for the company, including the launching of the first telecom services to international fame.
Sunil Bharti Mittal: Biography
Name
Sunil Bharti Mittal
Birthplace
Ludhiana, Punjab, India
Born
October 23, 1957
Nationality
Indian
Education
Wynberg Allen School in Mussorie , Scindia School in Gwalior, Arya College in Ludhiana, Harvard University
Occupation
Industrialist Philanthropist
Title
Founder & chairman Bharti Enterprises
Alma Mater
Panjab University, Chandigarh
Spouse
Nyna Mittal
Children
Son: Kavin Bharti, Sharvin Bharti and Daughter: Eisha Mittal
Sunil was born on October 23, 1957, in a Ludhiana, Punjab, Agarwal-Khatri family. Sunil was the son of Sat Pal Mittal, a distinguished Member of Parliament from the Rajya Sabha. He inherited the family’s legacy and an indomitable spirit of determination and ambition.
Sunil’s childhood was spent in the busy streets of Ludhiana with his political luminary father, creating a colourful background for his life. The exposure to politics, leadership, and public life undoubtedly sowed the seeds of discipline and purpose in young Sunil.
Sunil first attended Wynberg Allen School in Mussoorie, one of the most renowned schools in the Himalayan hills. But his academic path soon took him to the Scindia School in Gwalior, famous for its culture of nurturing future leaders.
Sunil graduated from Panjab University, Chandigarh, in 1976 with a Bachelor of Arts and Science. During this time, he also studied at Arya College in Ludhiana, building a foundation as diverse as his aspirations.
Sunil Bharti Mittal – Career
Bharti Enterprises founder Sunil Bharti Mittal is a man of ambition, resilience, and innovative thinking. Sunil was born into a business-focused family and had an entrepreneurial spark as a child. In 1976, at 18 years old, he started his first business with INR 20,000 borrowed from his father. His first foray was crankshaft production for bicycle makers, a lowly beginning that would be the basis for his business acumen.
In 1980 Sunil and his brothers Rakesh and Rajan started Bharti Overseas Trading Company. At first, the enterprise imported goods like Suzuki Motors’ portable electric generators from Japan. Sunil had financial success from this venture, but a government ban on generator imports in 1983 forced him to pivot.
In 1982, Mittal attended a trade show in Taiwan, where he first saw push-button phones. He was fascinated and wondered if he could introduce this technology in India, where rotary phones were still the norm. In 1984, he began assembling these phones under Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL) in collaboration with Germany’s Siemens AG. Mittal’s brand Beetel became synonymous with modern telephony, and soon, Mittal started making fax machines, cordless phones, and answering machines.
In 1992, the Indian government auctioned licenses for mobile telephony, marking a pivotal moment. Mittal’s determination helped Bharti get the permit for Delhi despite competing with industry giants Tata and Birla. In 1995, he partnered with France’s Vivendi to launch Bharti Cellular Limited under Airtel. By 1997, Airtel had become a name on every household’s lips, having crossed the two million subscriber mark in record time.
Mittal’s vision was not limited to connectivity. With the launch of IndiaOne, he revolutionized STD and ISD rates and made telecommunications affordable and accessible for millions.
Bharti was taken into international markets because of Mittal’s hunger for expansion. In 2008, he tried to make an audacious $45 billion acquisition of South Africa’s MTN Group, which would have been the most significant overseas deal by an Indian company. The deal fell through, but his resolve was not broken. Bharti’s successful 2010 acquisition of Zain Telecom’s African operations for $10.7 billion was the largest telecom acquisition by an Indian company.
Mittal’s leadership style was defined by adaptability and innovative financing strategies. He approached telecom, a traditionally capital-intensive industry, with a modular mindset: start small break even on operations.
Airtel’s success was spearheaded by bold initiatives, such as scrapping national and international roaming charges in 2017, which restructured the industry and made Airtel a customer-centric brand.
Mittal is a visionary entrepreneur who has always believed in giving back. He is also involved in the education business through the Bharti Foundation, which operates 250 schools and serves 46,000 students.
Sunil Mittal may be India’s most successful business leader, but he is still humble and has learned the hard way from his early days. His story is not just a story of personal triumph; it’s a blueprint for aspiring entrepreneurs. Sunil Bharti Mittal has changed the face of Indian telecommunication and spurred generations to dream big through foresight, innovation, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
Sunil grew up with his brothers Rajan Mittal and Rakesh Bharti Mittal, who later joined him in shaping the Bharti legacy. Their mother, Lalita Mittal, held the family together with values of resilience and compassion. However, in 1992, Sat Pal Mittal, the Mittal’s patriarch, died of cardiac arrest.
Sunil Mittal’s family has always been close to him. Nyna Mittal is his wife, and they have a happy life together. They are proud parents to three children: Kavin Bharti Mittal, Sharvin Bharti Mittal, and Eiesha Mittal, two sons. Each of his children has carved out his path in life, following in their father’s entrepreneurial footsteps but still being who he is.
Even though he has been successful, Sunil Mittal is still grounded. His dynamic personality is reflected in his interests. Formula 1 is his passion, and he loves speed and innovation.
Sunil’s life is not free of challenges. He was also controversial and called to testify in the 2G spectrum case. Yet, through his resilience and integrity, he has survived adversity.
It is a testament to Sunil Bharti Mittal’s determination and vision that he went from Ludhiana to the chairman of Bharti Enterprises. He had values from his family, but he made his legacy by sheer hard work and innovation.
Sunil Bharti Mittal – Investments
Mittal invests in telecommunications and education, but his portfolio is diversified strategically. He has also invested in real estate, technology, and infrastructure companies. Bharti Enterprises has two subsidiaries: Bharti Realty, the real estate arm, and Beetel Teletech, which manufactures telecom equipment.
Mittal’s investments are not purely about financial growth but also about doing good. Whether connecting the unconnected through OneWeb’s satellite broadband service or reshaping the future of education with UpGrad, Mittal is committed to long-term solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges.
Under his leadership, Bharti Enterprises will continue to grow and change; Mittal’s ability to see what is on the horizon and unyielding commitment to innovation will ensure that his investments make his business successful and lead to positive social change. Whether digital transformation, sustainability, or global connectivity, Sunil Mittal’s investments aim for long-term impact and progress worldwide.
Year
Invested in
Aug 8, 2022
UpGrad
Aug 25, 2022
Airtel
Jun 29, 2021
OneWeb
Mar 18, 2019
OneWeb
Dec 19, 2016
OneWeb
Jun 26, 2015
OneWeb
Sunil Bharti Mittal – Controversies
India’s telecom revolution visionary, Sunil Bharti Mittal, became trapped in a legal quagmire that could have brought his empire crashing down. The storm at the center was so controversial that courts sharply rebuked it, exposed political vendetta, and tested the resilience of one of India’s most admired businesspeople.
The drama started with allegations about Bharti Airtel’s getting additional spectrum in 2002. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said Mittal’s company and Hutch had received undue benefits when the late Pramod Mahajan, then Telecom Minister, allowed spectrum allotments from 4.4 MHz to 6.2 MHz and 8 MHz. The CBI argued that Airtel’s spectrum usage charges (SUC) were kept suspiciously low, allegedly to help the company’s initial public offering (IPO).
The case’s foundation was shaky from the start. The company countered that Airtel’s IPO was oversubscribed days before Mahajan’s decision. The SUC increase to 4% for 8 MHz was also in line with existing norms and contrary to the CBI’s claim that it should have been raised to 5%. It looked less like corporate wrongdoing and more like political maneuvering.
It peaked when a special court rejected CBI’s charge sheet with scathing remarks. The investigative agency, it said, ‘fabricated and distorted’ the facts to create the illusion of a crime where there was none. The charges’ sharp words tore apart their credibility, with the judiciary describing them as a consequence of ‘extraneous reasons.’
However, this only added fuel to the fire as then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in a blog post, accused the CBI of politically motivated actions. According to him, the charges were cooked up on the instructions of Kapil Sibal, a central figure in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), to tar the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) like the UPA’s infamous telecom scandals.
The case also had obvious political overtones. The CBI alleged that Mittal and his associates benefited from the spectrum allocations to promote Airtel’s IPO. However, as industry experts and later court findings have shown, spectrum usage charges at that time primarily aligned with policy norms.
The preferential treatment allegations were also questioned about other policies, such as the 2001 WLL spectrum framework, which allowed companies to increase the spectrum without raising SUC. There was no hard evidence to suggest that the case was really about corporate malpractice and more about the political narrative.
Mittal’s reputation was damaged during the controversy, and the dismissal of the charges brought immense relief. The court’s judgment also served as a wake-up call for investigative agencies to make accusations based on evidence-free from political influence.
Mittal’s ordeal highlighted India’s precarious mix of business and politics. But despite the controversy, he emerged strong, with his legacy of being the architect of India’s telecom revolution intact.
Sunil Bharti Mittal – Awards and Recognition
Padma Bhushan (2007)
Transforming India Leader Award
GSM Association’s Chairman’s Award (2008)
Asia Businessman of the Year (2006)
Telecom Person of the Year (2006)
CEO of the Year (2006)
CEO of the Year (2005-06)
Best Asian Telecom CEO (2005)
Best CEO, India (2005
Business Leader of the Year (2005)
Philanthropist of the Year (2010)
INSEAD Business Leader Award (2011)
Doctor Honoris Causa Degrees:
Amity University, Gurgaon (2016)
Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra (2018)
ESCP Business School, Paris (2018)
Global Mobile Industry Recognition (2019)
Economic Times Business Leader of the Year (2022)
Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE, 2024)
Sunil Bharti Mittal – Interesting Facts
Sunil Mittal began his entrepreneurial journey in 1976 by making crankshafts for local bicycle manufacturers while most teenagers dreamed of college.
Bharti Foundation, Mittal’s philanthropic arm, has established over 50 schools in Madhya Pradesh and donated ₹200 million to help establish the Bharti School of Technology and Management at IIT Delhi.
Airtel is synonymous with Mittal’s success; surprisingly, few people know about his knack for innovation. He was among the first to understand the benefits of outsourcing in the telecom industry and aligned with global players like IBM for IT services and Ericsson for network infrastructure.
King Charles III honoured Sunil Mittal, becoming the first Indian citizen to be awarded Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 2024. His contribution to global business and philanthropy was recognized.
Sunil Mittal is a fan of Formula 1 and loves Italian cuisine, with pizza topping his list of favourite indulgences.
Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Airtel.
Airtel is a name that unites large numbers of people in India with billions of people all over the world. This telecom giant is currently one of the most reputable brands in the industry. Nothing short of remarkable can be said about the company’s journey from being a modest regional operator restricted to the city of Delhi to sclaing to become the second biggest mobile provider in the Asia Pacific region.
The second-largest service provider in India, Airtel, said that the organisation has emerged “quite firmly” from the five-year tornado and is now highly solid, adding that it is under tremendous circumstances that an organization’s real institutions and character are tested.
According to Sunil Mittal, Airtel’s chairman, telecom is among the most “professionalised” businesses in the nation and its solid organisational framework has helped the company weather wave after wave of adversity. He said that best-in-class personnel handle Airtel, which makes Airtel what it is today.
An international provider of telecom services with headquarters in New Delhi is Bharti Airtel Limited, popularly known as Airtel.
Know more about Airtel, its company history, the founder of Airtel, its business model, investments, etc., by reading this article further.
Bharti Airtel Ltd. does business in the provision of direct-to-home solutions, communications systems and services, and passive infrastructure services, The following business segments make up how the firm conducts its operations:
Mobile services for Africa, India, and South Asia, as well as for Airtel Business, Tower Infrastructure Services, and Digital TV Services. The segment for mobile services in India and South Asia includes voice and data telecom services delivered through wireless technologies in those regions. The distribution of data and voice telecommunication solutions to customers in the African continent is covered under the Mobile Services Africa section.
The voice and data communications based on fixed-network and broadband technologies are covered by the Telemedia Services category.
The sector for digital broadcasting services offered over the direct-to-home network is called “Digital TV Services.” By acting as a single point of contact for all communications requirements spanning data and voice, network integration, and managed services, the Airtel Business sector encompasses end-to-end telecom solutions being delivered to big Indian and international organisations.
Installing, running, and maintaining wireless communication towers in India are all included in the category called Tower Infrastructure Services.
Mobile commerce services are included in the other’s section, along with administrative and support services.
Information may be transmitted using a variety of methods through the wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. This is known as telecommunication. As a result, slower systems (like postal mail) are not included in the field. It has its roots in humans’ need for communication at a distance greater than what is possible with the human voice, but with a similar level of expediency.
The volume of the worldwide telecom services industry, which was estimated at USD 1,657.7 billion in 2021, is anticipated to rise at a CAGR of 5.4% from 2022 to 2028. One of the main drivers propelling this business is the increase in expenditure on the installation of 5G infrastructures as a result of the shift in consumer preference toward smartphone devices and next-generation technology.
Other possible drivers of market expansion include an increase in mobile subscribers, skyrocketing high-speed data connectivity demand, and increased demand for value-added managed services.
Unquestionably, one of the main areas for ongoing technical developments over the past few decades has been the worldwide communication network.
Airtel – Name, Logo, and Tagline
Company Logo of Airtel
Airtel’s full name is Bharti Airtel.
Bharti Tele-Ventures Ltd, the original name of Bharti Airtel Ltd, was formed in 1995. Bharti Telecom Ltd., an Indian firm that was formed, pushed the business.
The company claims that its distinctive symbol is an interpretation of the letter “a” from its name Airtel. It is warm and inviting, almost like a living thing, thanks to its curved shape and the soft accents on the red colour. It stands for an unstoppable dynamic force of energy that strengthens our relationship with our clients.
Bharti Enterprises, which includes holdings in telecom, retail, real estate, financial services, agri-products, and renewable energy, was founded and is led by Sunil Bharti Mittal. With more than 300 million users in South Asia and Africa, Bharti Airtel, the group’s core business, ranks third among all telecom providers globally.
Presently, Sunil serves as the International Chamber of Commerce’s First Vice-Chairman (ICC). He also sits on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Telecom Board, the Broadband Commission, the Prime Minister of Singapore’s Research, Innovation, and Enterprise Council, the Prime Minister of India’s Council on Trade and Industry, and the Chairman of the Telecom Steering Committee of the World Economic Forum (WEF).
He is a member of the India-US, India-UK, and India-Japan CEO Forums and serves as co-chair of the India-Africa Business Council and the India-Sri Lanka CEO Forum. He formerly held the position of President of India’s leading business association, the Confederation of Indian Industry.
One of India’s highest civilian honours, the Padma Bhushan, was given to Sunil. Sunil, a graduate of Harvard Business School, serves on the Governing Board of the Indian School of Business, the Board of Dean’s Advisors of Harvard Business School, and the Global Advisory Council of Harvard University. He is on the board of directors of the Qatar Foundation Endowment and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, respectively.
Airtel – Startup Story
Bharti Telecom Limited, which had its humble origins in the Indian telecom sector in 1986, is where Airtel got its start. When most of India was still using rotary phones in 1986, Sunil Bharti Mittal’s firm was the first to sell push-button phones in that nation. In their first joint venture, Siemens AG of Germany, they switched from importing push-button landlines from Taiwan to manufacturing them in India.
To replace the outdated, clumsy telephones that were in use at the time, Sunil Mittal began making push-button phones in India in 1984. Previously, he had imported them from a Singaporean business, Singtel.
To produce electronic push-button phones, Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL) was established and a technological partnership with Siemens AG of Germany was established. Bharti began producing fax machines, cordless phones, and other telecom equipment in the early 1990s. He gave the name “Mitbrau” to his first push-button phone.
He acquired one of the four licences for mobile phone networks that were available for auction in India in 1992. With the French telecom company Vivendi, Mittal successfully closed a transaction. He was one of the first business people in India to see the mobile telecom industry as a key growth sector.
When Bharti Cellular Limited was established to provide cellular services under the brand name Airtel, his plans were ultimately authorised by the government in 1994, and he debuted services in Delhi in 1995.
Bharti was the first telecom provider to surpass the 2 million mobile subscriber threshold in a short period. Under the brand name “India one,” Bharti has reduced the STD cellular charges in India.
Later, with innovation at its core, the business introduced several telecom technologies to the Indian market. Bharti Telecom Limited established the foundation for the business’ mobile activities in 1992 by acquiring a licence to construct a cellular network in Delhi.
As Bharti Tele-Ventures, it started operating in Delhi in 1995. Through different collaborations and acquisitions, the service was expanded to several additional states.
Airtel’s vision statement says, “Our vision is to enrich the lives of our customers. Our obsession is to win customers for life through an exceptional experience. “
Airtel’s mission statement says, “Hunger to win customers for life.”
Airtel – Business Model
The two primary areas of concentration for Airtel are company growth or expansion and client acquisition and servicing (retention). Their mission and vision clearly express that their ultimate objective is to become a telecom service that is appreciated across the world, with a primary focus on customer pleasure and the provision of cutting-edge services that are frequently more affordable than traditional offerings.
Technology, network administration, backend programs, and other services are among the numerous tasks that are outsourced. Airtel was the first to use this business model, and it serves as an example for many new players.
Apart from their advertising, marketing, and substantial funding, Airtel believes in contracting everything else and follows the “minutes factory” strategy of low price and high quantity.
As the innovator of such a strategy, Airtel is well known for motivating tens of thousands of other businesses and entrepreneurs. In addition to Ericsson, Huawei, and Nokia Networks providing and maintaining Airtel’s equipment, Amdocs, a US-based company, offers Airtel the IT help the company needs.
In addition to a B2B model registered under Airtel Business that supports entrepreneurs and SMEs, it also employs a B2C strategy to generate revenue from its clients. Airtel differentiates itself apart because of its distinctive business strategy, which tries to offer clients the greatest services at reasonable pricing.
It is important to keep in mind that Airtel is not one of the businesses that have seen rapid expansion, but rather one that has established itself as the industry leader by innovating and deserving of that position.
Further easing its path was the fact that it is one of the few telecom service providers to have understood the significance of value-added services (VAS) from the beginning.
Airtel – Growth
Airtel is not a startup that is unknown to growth. Being one of the market leaders, commanding the telecommunications industry of India, Airtel has seen a world of growth since it was founded back in 1995.
Some of the major growth highlights of Airtel at a glance are:
Airtel is recognised as the 2nd largest mobile network operator in India and the 2nd largest in the world as well.
Airtel operates in 18+ countries across South Asia and Africa, and in the Channel Islands.
The company was chosen as the 2nd most valuable brand from India in the first-ever Brandz ranking
Airtel pioneered outsourcing all of its business operations as a business strategy. Yes, it outsources all of the operations except marketing, sales and finance
Airtel is credited for building the ‘minutes factory’ model of low cost and high volumes
Airtel 5G Services
Airtel has declared that it will be launching its 5G services later this month, as per reports dated August 10, 2022. The company CEO and MD, Gopal Vittal stated that the company will “extend to a pan-India rollout very soon” after starting the 5G services. These services will be further extended to 5000+ Indian towns and the key rural areas of the country by 2024. This will make it the biggest rollout in history.
Airtel – Joint Ventures
Airtel-Vodafone
Following the signing of a contract with Vodafone, Jersey Airtel, and Guernsey Airtel, two wholly-owned companies of the Bharti Group, announced on May 1 that they will begin offering mobile services in the British Crown Dependency islands of Jersey and Guernsey under the name Airtel-Vodafone. In Jersey and Guernsey, a 3G network is run by Airtel-Vodafone.
Airtel-Ericsson
Airtel’s mobile networks throughout Africa were managed and optimised by Ericsson under a five-year contract that Bharti and Ericsson inked in July 2011. With the most recent technologies, including its multi-standard RBS 6000 base station, Ericsson modernised and improved Airtel’s mobile networks throughout Africa.
Ericsson also offered technology consultancy, network planning & design, and network implementation as part of the modernisation. In Asian operations, Ericsson has served as the managed services and network technology partner.
Airtel – Sponsorships
Airtel and Manchester United struck a significant agreement on May 9, 2009. As a consequence of the agreement, Airtel was granted the right to broadcast the team’s games to its subscribers.
The Champions League Twenty20 cricket competition will now be sponsored by Bharti Airtel thanks to a five-year agreement they made with ESPN Star Sports.
Additionally, Airtel agreed to serve as the Indian Grand Prix’s headline sponsor.
The FIA GT World Cup for 2018–21 is sponsored by Airtel.
To serve as the I-title League’s sponsor for the 2013–14 season, Airtel inked a contract.
Since 2006, Airtel has been the primary sponsor of the Vijay TV shows Airtel Super Singer and Airtel Super Singer Junior.
Airtel – Funding, and Investors
Airtel has raised over $4.4 bn in over 7 funding rounds that the company has seen to date. The last funding round was led by Google, a part of which was completed on July 1, 2022, and allotment of shares part of the deal was completed on July 14, 2022. It was earmarked that Google would be picking up a minority stake of 1.28% then, from the telecom service provider. This deal was made after 5 months since it was proposed. It was on July 14th, 2022, that the telecom giant approved the allotment of more than 71.17 crore shares to the tech behemoth, Google, at an issue price of Rs 734 per equity share, which includes a premium of Rs 729.
It was at a meeting of the ‘Special Committee of Directors for Preferential Allotment’ that this decision of the allotment of shares was taken. After this, now the stakes of Google in Airtel stand at 1.20% of the total post-equity shares or 1.17% of the telecom company on a fully-diluted basis.
Date
Round
Amount
lead Investors
July 14, 2022
Post-IPO Equity
$700M
Google
Jan 28, 2022
Corporate Round
$300M
Google
Feb 25, 2021
Post-IPO Debt
$1.3B
–
Oct 9, 2019
Post-IPO Debt
$750M
–
Feb 5, 2018
Post-IPO Equity
₹26.5B
Singtel
Dec 13, 2017
Post-IPO Equity
$350M
Warburg Pincus
Aug 22, 2016
Post-IPO Equity
$659M
–
Airtel – Investments
Airtel has made 15 investments to date. The last Airtel investment was in Avaada Energy, where the company invested close to $1 mn on March 10, 2022. Here are the details of the recent Airtel investments:
Date
Organization Name
Round
Amount
Mar 10, 2022
Avaada Energy
Corporate Round
$986.20K
Feb 25, 2022
Indus Towers
Post-IPO Secondary
$299.09 mn
Jan 31, 2022
Lavelle Networks
Corporate Round
–
Dec 18, 2021
Vahan
Corporate Round
–
Sep 15, 2021
Vahan
Series A
$7.38 mn
Nov 21, 2020
Avaada MHBuldhana
Private Equity Round
$569.34K
Sep 23, 2020
Waybeo
Corporate Round
–
Jun 17, 2020
Lattu kids
Corporate Round
–
Jun 9, 2020
Robi Axiata
Corporate Round
–
Oct 25, 2019
Vahan
Seed Round
–
Airtel – Acquisitions
Quikmile was the last acquisition of Airtel that happened on November 26, 2019. There are a total of 7 acquisitions made by Airtel to date.
Acquiree Name
About Acquiree
Date
Amount
Quikmile
Integrated SaaS product for logistics.
Nov 26, 2019
–
AuthMe Id Services
AuthMe Id Services develops and offers artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to resolve customer complaints and queries.
Oct 3, 2018
–
Telenor India
Telenor, an Indian mobile network operator.
Aug 3, 2017
–
Tikona- 4G
Tikona 4G Home Broadband is faster than fast, one can stream a video.
Mar 24, 2017
₹1.6B
Telenor (India) Communications Pvt. Ltd.
Telenor (India) Communications Pvt. Ltd. is a mobile network operator company.
Feb 23, 2017
–
MENA Submarine Cable Systems
MENA Submarine Cable Systems is a carrier neutral cable operator.
Dec 22, 2016
$100M
Augere
Augere is a wireless broadband business founded in 2007.
Dec 31, 2015
–
Airtel – Competitors
Top competitors in the competitive list of Airtel are:
Vodafone (Europe, Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand)
Verizon Wireless (USA)
AT&T Mobility
Dialog Axiata Mobile Services
Tigo
TELUS Mobility
TIM
Grameenphone
Airtel – Challenges Faced
A code employed by the business was allegedly responsible for violating users’ privacy in June 2015.
Even though India’s global telecom sector is one of the fastest-growing in the world, the Indian telecom market is overheated with 14 contenders and overcapacity.
Additionally, the metro and other major cities have at least a 100% penetration rate, while rural India, which accounts for more than 60% of new subscribers, only has a 20% penetration rate.
Rural super-stockists and Rural Distributors were included in the two-tiered structure that Airtel planned to construct. Young business owners assigned regions around a few cell towers, and the rural distributors were in charge of bringing in new clients.
Consumers had a dread of technology, which added to the difficulties presented by distance in terms of service expectations. They refused to work with call centres. In rural India, Airtel established 25,000 Service Centers.
In order to address service requests in addition to selling new connections and recharges, a specialised retailer in the village was trained. The retailer got more trust, which improved walk-in business, while Airtel offered in-person support contacts. Each circle has a hotline or call centre that offered this real-time backup support.
Received concerns from consumers that their accounts were being established without their authorization, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) suspended Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank Limited’s licence for eKYC of Aadhar on December 16, 2017. In certain cases, LPG subsidies were even deposited into Airtel Payments Bank accounts.
Airtel – Future Plans
In order to meet the demands of India’s rapidly expanding digital economy, Bharti Airtel Limited (“Airtel”) launched a redesigned brand identity for its data centre business under the name “Nxtra by Airtel” and detailed investment plans. The largest network of data centres in India belongs to Nxtra by Airtel.
Currently, it administers crucial submarine landing sites and runs 10 big and 120 edge data centres spread strategically across India. It provides a safe and scalable integrated solution to global hyperscalers, major Indian corporations, startups, SMEs, and governments when combined with Airtel’s global network.
With the advent of 5G, a rapidly expanding digital economy, businesses moving to the cloud, and regional data storage laws, India is seeing a significant need for dependable data centre solutions. By 2023, the installed capacity of the Indian data centre market is anticipated to more than double, rising from around 450 MW to 1074 MW.
In order to further expand its network of hyperscale and edge data centres, which is already the best in the business, Nxtra by Airtel expects to invest Rs 5,000 crores by 2025. New data centre parks will be added in significant metro areas. To address the soaring demand and solidify its network leadership, the investment would increase Nxtra by Airtel’s installed capacity to over 400 MW.
Ajay Chitkara, Director and CEO, Airtel Business said “Airtel has built the largest data centre network in India and we are now doubling down on this business to scale up our network that will be at the core of 5G and Digital India. Our experience of operating secure data centres, deep brand trust in the enterprise segment and the ability to deliver end-to-end digital transformation solutions positions us well to serve the emerging requirements of India’s connected economy. The new brand identity embodies this vision and ambition.”
Given the enormous energy demands of data centres, sustainability will continue to be a top priority. As part of Airtel’s overall GHG emission reduction ambitions, Nxtra by Airtel is already aggressively increasing the usage of green energy for its data centres and seeks to source 50% of the power requirements of these centres from renewable sources.
Additionally, captive solar power plants owned by Nxtra by Airtel were recently put online in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, with more on the way.
As India’s top ICT service provider, Airtel Business, the B2B division of Airtel, offers a wide range of products and services in a variety of fields, including voice, data, collaboration, work-from-home solutions, cloud, data centres, cybersecurity, Internet of Things, network integration, managed services, enterprise mobility, and digital media.
Airtel Payments Bank is a digital banking initiative from Airtel, which led the reputed telecommunications service provider to roll out a digital bank on January 12, 2017. The Airtel Payments Bank is currently billed as India’s first true digital bank and the largest bank for the underbanked.
