India’s Bharti Airtel has surpassed 650 million customers, becoming the world’s second-largest mobile operator by subscriber base, according to GSMA Intelligence, as the telecom group expands across India and Africa.
The milestone underscores Airtel’s growing scale in two of the fastest-growing telecom markets globally, with over 368 million users in India and 179 million across 14 African countries.
Airtel has been investing heavily in next-generation networks and digital services to drive growth. In India, the company has rolled out 5G Plus services, alongside offerings such as Xstream AirFiber and IPTV, as it targets rising demand for high-speed data. It serves more than 13 million broadband homes and over 15 million digital TV customers, it said.
The company is also expanding its enterprise segment through Airtel Business, offering services including cloud computing, cybersecurity, software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN), and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Its infrastructure includes more than 400,000 route kilometres of subsea cables and a network of Nxtra data centres.
In a push to diversify revenue, Airtel recently entered the non-banking financial services (NBFC) sector, aiming to offer credit and financial products via its mobile app.
In Africa, Airtel continues to scale its Airtel Money platform, which has grown to over 52 million users, providing mobile payments and banking services in markets with limited access to traditional financial systems.
The company is also investing in satellite-based connectivity through partnerships with Eutelsat OneWeb and SpaceX, targeting broadband access in remote and underserved areas.
“Achieving the milestone of 650 million customers is a great responsibility,” Executive Vice Chairman Gopal Vittal said, adding the company would continue to invest in network quality and customer experience.
Airtel’s growth reflects broader industry trends, with telecom expansion increasingly driven by emerging markets in Asia and Africa, where mobile and financial services adoption continues to rise.