Bharti Airtel, India’s leading telecom operator, unveiled plans Monday to invest a whopping Rs 20,000 crore in its NBFC subsidiary, Airtel Money Limited, targeting explosive growth in digital lending. This multi-year commitment underscores Airtel’s pivot toward capturing a larger slice of the fintech pie.
The investment will fortify the company’s presence amid India’s financial services surge and help narrow the nation’s wide credit deficit. Airtel will fund 70% directly, with Bharti Enterprises covering the balance.
Gopal Vittal, Executive Vice Chairman, praised the lending platform’s achievements, noting its adept use of tech, data, and trust at scale. He described the NBFC push as a cornerstone for creating a trustworthy, innovative digital lending ecosystem focused on inclusion.
Fresh off obtaining RBI’s NBFC license on February 13, 2026, Airtel Money is gearing up to offer streamlined, safe digital financial products across the country. It’s a calculated expansion to embed financial services deeper into everyday lives.
Over the past two years, the platform has channeled more than Rs 9,000 crore in loans via its LSP framework, excelling in underwriting discipline, portfolio oversight, and live risk assessment. A powerhouse team of 500+ data scientists powers its analytics, fueling rapid growth with strong repayment metrics.
Airtel clarified regulatory nuances: RBI registration is in place, but no guarantees on finances or liabilities from the central bank. This venture positions Airtel not just as a telco, but as a fintech contender, potentially transforming how Indians borrow in the digital age.