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Tag: Bharti Airtel

  • BharatPe brings Shilpi Kapoor on board

    BharatPe brings Shilpi Kapoor on board

    MUMBAI: BharatPe has roped in seasoned marketer Shilpi Kapoor as its new head of marketing, marking a strategic move as the fintech player sharpens its brand play and digital growth strategy.

    With over two decades of experience across powerhouse brands, Kapoor joins BharatPe from Airtel Payments Bank, where she served as chief marketing officer and helped position it as one of India’s leading digital financial institutions. Her standout contributions included creating the ‘Safe second account’ category and scaling the bank’s active user base to over 100 million.

    Before Airtel, Kapoor made her mark at American Express, Renault, Godfrey Phillips, Bharti Airtel, and Coca-Cola, driving some of the most memorable brand stories in recent years. From leading Amex’s ‘Don’t Live Life Without It’ campaign to launching Renault KWID into India’s fast lane, her track record reflects a flair for insight-led, high-impact marketing.

    At BharatPe, Kapoor will oversee brand strategy, integrated marketing, and digital engagement across the company’s growing portfolio.

    BharatPe CEO Nalin Negi said, “We are building a digital-first financial ecosystem that merchants and consumers can trust. Shilpi’s expertise in scaling iconic brands will help us deepen engagement and drive our next phase of growth.”

    Sharing her excitement, Kapoor said, “BharatPe has been a game-changer for digital commerce in India. My goal is to strengthen its brand trust and cultural relevance while empowering millions of merchants and consumers nationwide.”

    Her appointment underscores BharatPe’s focus on consumer-centric storytelling and brand-led growth, as the fintech firm gears up to expand its footprint in India’s rapidly evolving digital finance landscape.

    With Kapoor at the helm of marketing, BharatPe seems ready to add a fresh coat of brand brilliance to its growth story.
     

  • Apna appoints Kartik Narayan to lead its jobs marketplace vertical

    Apna appoints Kartik Narayan to lead its jobs marketplace vertical

    MUMBAI: Apna Group has appointed industry veteran Kartik Narayan as the chief executive officer of its jobs marketplace vertical, signalling a fresh chapter in the company’s growth story.

    Narayan, who most recently served as CEO of Teamlease’s staffing business, brings more than two decades of leadership experience across giants such as Vodafone Idea, Cisco, and Bharti Airtel. In his new role, he will report directly to Apna’s founder and group CEO, Nirmit Parikh.

    As Apna scales its rapidly growing jobs platform, Narayan will lead efforts to strengthen employer partnerships and drive adoption of AI-powered hiring tools. He also aims to make recruitment smarter, faster, and, quite literally, more conversational, thanks to Apna’s latest tech ventures.

    “We’re thrilled to welcome Kartik to our leadership team,” said Parikh. “With his decades of experience running large businesses, we’re confident he’ll help us empower millions of job seekers and employers who rely on Apna every day.”

    Narayan, clearly energised by the new challenge, added, “Apna has redefined how India hires at scale. What excites me most is seeing companies build their own AI recruiting agents on our platform, it’s like watching the future of hiring unfold in real time.”

    The appointment comes as Apna Group diversifies beyond jobs, with the launch of Blue Machines, an enterprise-grade Voice AI platform, and a new education vertical in the works: both designed to prepare India’s next-generation workforce for an increasingly digital world.

  • Arpita Roy Luthra swaps building materials for lifts at Schindler group

    Arpita Roy Luthra swaps building materials for lifts at Schindler group

    NEW DELHI: Arpita Roy Luthra has joined Schindler group as vice president for north India, handling sales, strategy and marketing—a September 2025 move that marks her shift from fibre cement boards to vertical mobility.

    Roy Luthra arrives from Everest Industries, where she spent four years and seven months as national sales and marketing head, driving revenue for the boards and panels division. She turbocharged growth in high-value products by building infrastructure around architect engagement, premium retail and distribution networks, whilst steering new product development through a mix of in-house manufacturing and outsourced partnerships.

    Before Everest, she logged nearly two years as head of marketing for Stallion Group in Lagos, managing automotive brands from Hyundai to Porsche across Sub-Saharan Africa. She helped push the conglomerate’s new car market share from 42 per cent to 45 per cent and secured the national distributorship for Bajaj Auto’s three- and four-wheeler business—a $150m annual turnover addition.

    Her African chapter also included a 19-month stint at Bharti Airtel’s Netherlands-based international arm, managing enterprise operations across 14 operating companies, and a 15-month run at Crown Paints Kenya. But her longest tenure was nine years at Bharti Airtel in India, where she climbed from assistant manager in corporate sales to deputy general manager heading B2B marketing, overseeing mobility, fixed-line voice and data products.

    Earlier stints at Pidilite Industries saw her leading B2B lead generation and key accounts for waterproofing solutions, whilst roles at SAB Miller and Godfrey Phillips India gave her FMCG combat experience in institutional sales.

    Roy Luthra’s track record is built on cracking the B2B code—whether pitching premium cars to Nigerian dealers or fibre cement boards to Indian architects. At Schindler, she’ll deploy that playbook in a market where every new tower needs a lift, and competition for developer mindshare is brutal. The question now: can she make elevators as compelling as automobiles?

  • VIP Industries bags Orient Electric’s former boss as new chief executive

    VIP Industries bags Orient Electric’s former boss as new chief executive

    MUMBAI: VIP Industries, India’s largest luggage manufacturer, has appointed Atul Jain as its new chief executive and managing director. Jain previously transformed Orient Electric, where he delivered 60 per cent revenue growth and a 2.5-fold increase in market capitalisation during his six-year tenure.

    The executive brings a formidable pedigree in digital transformation and sustainability. At Orient Electric, a CK Birla Group company, he strengthened sales and product teams whilst launching premium offerings and investing in brand-building. His efforts yielded a 400 basis points improvement in margins between 2017 and 2023.

    Before Orient Electric, Jain spent six years at Samsung Electronics, rising to global senior director for home appliances with oversight of 20 emerging markets. He also served as country head for consumer electronics in India, where he grew the durables business at double the industry rate.

    His career spans blue-chip companies including a stint as chief operating officer at Chinese technology firm LeEco. Earlier roles included chief marketing officer at Bharti Airtel and brand manager at Coca-Cola.

    Jain has been an active angel investor since 2016, backing startups in consumer goods, education technology and sustainability. He also served as chairman of the Indian Fan Manufacturers’ Association from 2019 to 2021.
    VIP Industries, known for its Skybags and Aristocrat brands, has been seeking to revitalise its business as travel demand rebounds post-pandemic. The company’s shares have gained 12 per cent this year but remain below pre-Covid levels.

  • Airtel Q1 profit jumps to Rs 5,948 crore, adds 1.5 crore new users

    Airtel Q1 profit jumps to Rs 5,948 crore, adds 1.5 crore new users

    MUMBAI: Talk about a strong connection Bharti Airtel has come in loud and clear this quarter. The telco rang in a consolidated net profit of Rs 5,948 crore for Q1 FY26, marking a solid 104 per cent year-on-year jump from Rs 2,925 crore in Q1 FY25. The growth came on the back of higher subscriber additions, a healthy operating margin, and steady performance across its India and Africa businesses.

    Revenue from operations for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, stood at Rs 49,463 crore, rising 28.5 per cent year-on-year and 3.3 per cent sequentially. Consolidated EBITDA came in at Rs 28,167 crore, up 41.2 per cent YoY, with the EBITDA margin remaining strong at 56.9 per cent.

    Calling all metrics here’s the lowdown:

    . EBIT stood at Rs 15,621 crore, a 67 per cent YoY rise, with margins improving to 31.6 per cent.

    . Profit before tax increased 98.6 per cent YoY to Rs 10,504 crore.

    . India mobile services revenue clocked in at Rs 27,396 crore in Q1 FY26 versus Rs 22,527 crore last year.

    . Africa mobile services brought in Rs 12,083 crore, up from Rs 9,637 crore YoY.

    . Homes services (broadband) contributed Rs 1,718 crore, and

    .  Digital TV services fetched Rs 762 crore.

     . Airtel Business, its B2B arm, generated Rs 5,057 crore.

    Subscriber base rings in growth:
    The company added 1.5 crore customers during the quarter, taking its total global base to 60.5 crore subscribers, a 6.7 per cent YoY increase. Of these, India accounted for 43.6 crore users, up 6.6 per cent, and Africa stood at 16.9 crore, growing 9 per cent.

    Margins and metrics dial up too:

    . Operating margin: 31.1 per cent (vs 23.8 per cent YoY)

    .  Net profit margin: 15.0 per cent (vs 12.3 per cent YoY)

    . Debt-to-equity: Improved to 0.80 (from 1.21 YoY)

    .  Interest coverage ratio: Rose to 6.35x (from 4.74x)

    . Basic earnings per share: Rs 10.26 (vs Rs 7.21 YoY)

    . Net worth: Rs 11,79,009 million

    Segment-wise, Passive Infrastructure Services revenue surged to Rs 8,091 crore, reflecting growth from its Indus Towers investment, while Airtel Business remained resilient despite a slight sequential dip.

    Standalone net profit was Rs 3,765 crore in Q1, with revenue at Rs 29,249 crore. The company maintained a healthy standalone EBITDA of Rs 17,177 crore and net profit margins of 12.9 per cent.

    Airtel has not only tightened its financial grip but also expanded its user base proving it’s not just chasing signals, but setting benchmarks.
     

  • TRAI telecom data: India’s rural surge, internet binge and DTH downfall ring loud in March

    TRAI telecom data: India’s rural surge, internet binge and DTH downfall ring loud in March

    MUMBAI: India’s telecom scene in March 2025 was a tale of two Indias—rural Bharat rising on data dreams and legacy players like BSNL and MTNL gasping for bars. According to TRAI’s fresh data, it was a month of gains for mobile and broadband, and growing static for DTH.

    The total number of wireless subscribers climbed slightly to 1,160.65 million, with rural India accounting for nearly 80 per cent of new additions. Villages added 1.1 million users, urban India added just 296,000—proof that the real action is beyond city limits.

    Reliance Jio was on fire, gaining 2.15 million wireless users and reinforcing its market leadership with 39.6 per cent share. Bharti Airtel added 1.03 million, keeping pace. Vodafone Idea lost nearly 700,000 subscribers, and BSNL continued its freefall with a 1.25 million loss.

    India’s broadband subscriber base touched 946.32 million, a monthly growth of 0.21 per cent. Unsurprisingly, 4G/5G mobile broadband accounted for 921.4 million of those connections—soaring on reels, reels, and more reels.

    On the wireline broadband front, Jio continued to hustle, adding over 320,000 subscribers, bringing its fixed-line share to 33.6 per cent. Airtel stayed solid with over 100,000 adds, while government dinosaurs BSNL and MTNL lost tens of thousands more. Between sluggish service and vanishing relevance, they’ve become the landline’s last rites.

    In the home entertainment arena, the direct-to-home (DTH) sector saw a slide. Total active DTH subscribers dropped to 64.17 million from 64.45 million—a fall of over 278,000 users in just one month.

    Cord-cutting is no longer a western trend; it’s happening across Indian homes as OTT apps and smart TVs eat into satellite’s share. Operators like Tata Play and Airtel Digital are still holding their ground, but the writing is on the (living room) wall.

    The big takeaway? Rural India is dialling up, streaming more, and finally enjoying digital parity. Jio’s aggressive expansion is paying off across both mobile and fibre, while BSNL’s steady subscriber bleed raises existential questions.

    DTH is beginning to look like the landline of television. The OTT wave is here, and it’s pulling viewers—and revenue—away from satellite.

    With spectrum auctions around the corner and AI-fuelled data demands skyrocketing, India’s telecom race is less about who picks up the call—and more about who controls the cloud.

  • Naval Pandya plugs In at You Broadband, eyes national network expansion

    Naval Pandya plugs In at You Broadband, eyes national network expansion

    MUMBAI: Naval Pandya, a seasoned telecom executive, has joined You Broadband India  as vice president of network alliance, tasked with turbocharging the company’s national broadband expansion. After a 13-year stint at GTPL Hathway, Pandya is set to leverage his extensive experience to forge strategic partnerships and broaden You Broadband’s footprint.

    Pandya, who officially plugged into his new role in April 2025, brings over two decades of industry expertise to the table. His LinkedIn post expressed enthusiasm for “building on that journey by strengthening our last-mile access and creating broadband-ready homes across the country.”

    You Broadband, in a statement, highlighted Pandya’s “more than 22 years of industry experience,” and expressed confidence that his “leadership and drive will contribute significantly to our goals on expanding the operator business.”

    Prior to You Broadband, Pandya served as vice president of broadband sales & operations at GTPL Hathway, where he oversaw customer lifecycle management, P&L management, and growth strategies. His resume also includes roles at Den Networks, Hathway Cable & Datacom, Bharti Airtel, Tata Communications, and You Telecom India.

    Pandya’s track record spans cable TV operations, broadband sales, and institutional sales, positioning him to drive You Broadband’s ambitions in a rapidly evolving market. He arrives at You Broadband with a wealth of experience in the Indian broadband and cable sectors.

  • Indian government to take nearly half of Vodafone Idea as debt converts to equity

    Indian government to take nearly half of Vodafone Idea as debt converts to equity

    MUMBAI: India’s beleaguered mobile operator Vodafone Idea is about to get a new sugar daddy—the government itself. The ministry of communications has decided to convert the firm’s towering spectrum auction dues of Rs 36,950 crore into equity shares, catapulting the state’s ownership from 22.6 per cent to a whopping 48.99 per cent, according to a company regulatory filing with the BSE.

    The move, communicated via an order dated 29 March and received by the company on Sunday, follows the Modi government’s 2021 telecom sector bailout package. Vodafone Idea, which has been gasping for financial breath against rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, will issue 3,695 crore equity shares at Rs 10 each within 30 days after securing regulatory approvals.

    Despite the government now holding the largest slice of the pie, the existing promoters will remain at the controls—suggesting New Delhi prefers to play sleeping partner rather than backseat driver in this marriage of convenience.

    The pricing methodology wasn’t plucked from thin air but follows regulatory guidelines—taking the higher of the volume-weighted price over either 90 or 10 trading days preceding 26 February 2025.

    This fiscal lifeline throws Vodafone Idea a much-needed oxygen tank as it struggles to keep up in India’s brutally competitive telecom market, where rock-bottom tariffs have made profitability as rare as an uncapped data plan.

  • Airtel rings loud in Kerala, leaves rivals dialling up network upgrades

    Airtel rings loud in Kerala, leaves rivals dialling up network upgrades

    MUMBAI: Kerala’s telecom battlefield just got a lot more interesting—Bharti Airtel didn’t just up the ante, they’ve thrown down the gauntlet with a signal so strong, competitors are scrambling for a better connection. In a dramatic twist worthy of a telecom thriller, Airtel has rolled out an impressive 2,500 additional network sites across Kerala, cementing its position as the top telecom player in ‘God’s Own Country’. It seems Airtel knows that when it comes to connectivity, second place just doesn’t cut it.

    Deployed swiftly across all 14 districts, Airtel now boasts over 11,000 network sites, the most by any telecom operator in Kerala. Whether you’re chilling on the serene beaches of Varkala, exploring the tea-drenched hills of Munnar, or cruising on the Kochi water metro—Airtel’s got you covered. With such a dense network, it’s almost as if Airtel is personally ensuring your TikTok uploads never buffer.

    Bharti Airtel COO – Kerala, Gokul J proudly stated, “Kerala remains a critical market for Airtel, and we are committed to offering our customers the best network experience. In the last two years, we have made significant investments in the state in network densification across all the 14 districts. This has resulted in delivering a ubiquitous voice and data experience for our customers, no matter where they are in the state. We remain committed to Kerala and will continue to invest in technologies that will help elevate service experience for our customers.”

    These enhancements aren’t just marketing fluff—Opensignal recently handed Airtel multiple awards, crowning them the king of Kerala’s telecom jungle. Airtel emerged as number one in several categories, including seamless 5G video streaming, unbeatable live video experiences, exceptional gaming performance, and the fastest upload speeds around. Let’s just say, Airtel users now have bragging rights when it comes to flawless video chats and lag-free gaming sessions.

    With Airtel’s supercharged connectivity, Kerala’s beautiful landscapes are more than just Instagram-worthy—they’re reliably Insta-uploadable. So go ahead, snap, game, stream, and upload without a care; Airtel’s got your back. And your signal.

  • Tata Sons get CCI nod for additional slice of Tata Play

    Tata Sons get CCI nod for additional slice of Tata Play

    MUMBAI: Tata Sons has secured regulatory approval to tighten its grip on the arguably the country’s best distribution platform operator. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has given the green light for the conglomerate to acquire a 10 per cent stake in Tata Play from Temasek-owned Baytree Investments. 

    The transaction, valued at an unconfirmed $100 million, boosts Tata Sons’ ownership to 70 per cent, with Walt Disney holding the remaining 30 per cent. Industry insiders note the deal values Tata Play at a modest $1 billion—a significant haircut from its earlier publicly known  $3 billion valuation.

    “Commission approves the acquisition of certain additional shareholding in Tata Play Limited by Tata Sons Pvt Ltd  from Baytree Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd,” the CCI declared in Monday’s press release.

    The move comes as speculation swirls around a potential merger between Tata Play and Bharti Airtel’s rival DTH business. Both companies are reportedly engaged in bilateral talks, with sources suggesting a share-swap arrangement that would make Airtel the majority stakeholder with 52-55 per cent of the combined entity. Tata Play’s stakeholders, including Disney, would retain 45-48 per cent, according to unconfirmed media reports.

    Airtel’s senior management is expected to lead the merged business, with Tata angling for two board seats. 

     For Tata Sons, already registered as a “Systemically Important Non-Deposit Taking Core Investment Company” with the Reserve Bank of India, this represents another strategic tile in its sprawling business mosaic.

    The regulatory approval mirrors last year’s CCI nod for Bharti Airtel’s acquisition of a 20 per cent stake in its DTH arm, Bharti Telemedia, from Warburg Pincus affiliate Lion Meadow Investment Ltd  for Rs 3,126 crore.