Bharti Airtel: History, Latest Updates, Milestones, Subsidiaries & Share Price

INTRODUCTION

Airtel, or Bharti Airtel, headquartered in India, operates globally as a leading communication provider with 500 million+ customers across 17 South Asian and African countries. It ranks among the top three mobile operators worldwide and is the largest integrated communications solutions provider in India. In Africa, it's the second-largest mobile operator. Airtel's diverse retail portfolio offers high-speed 4G/5G broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber, streaming services, digital payments, and financial services. For enterprises, Airtel provides secure connectivity, cloud, data center, cybersecurity, IoT, Ad Tech, and cloud-based communication solutions, establishing itself as a versatile leader in global communication.

BHARTI AIRTEL MOVES IN 2024:

In Jan 2024, Bharti Airtel prepaid $1 billion to partially settle its 2015 spectrum dues, as stated in an exchange filing by the second-largest telecom services operator in India by subscribers. The payment incurred an interest rate of 10%.
In Jan 2024, The board of Airtel has given approval for the IPO of Bharti Hexacom, and the government plans to sell a 20% stake through an Offer for Sale (OFS).
As per the report on February 5, 2024, Bharti Airtel's Q3 results show a 54% year-on-year profit surge to Rs 2,442 crore, but it falls short of estimates. The Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) rose to Rs 208 in Q3FY24 from Rs 193 in Q3FY23. The company recorded quarterly consolidated revenues of Rs 37,900 crore for the October-December quarter, a 6% increase compared to the previous year, partly affected by currency devaluations in Africa.
CEO Anubrata Biswas stated in February 2024 that Airtel Payments Bank has experienced a notable increase in the volume of new customers applying online to open bank accounts and availing services such as FASTag in recent days.

As of Feb 2024, Airtel Africa reported a significant 92% year-on-year decline in net profit for Q3FY24, reaching $15 million, attributed to forex challenges and increased finance costs. The nine-month profit after tax was $2 million, impacted by a $330 million exceptional loss due to the devaluation of the Nigerian naira and the Malawian kwacha.
A share buy-back program of up to $100 million will be launched by Airtel Africa in early March 2024.

October 2023

Airtel introduces the first integrated omni-channel cloud platform for CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service) in India.

September 2023

• Airtel expands 5G services to 50 million customers.

• Bharti Airtel named Most Outstanding Company in India by Asiamoney.

• Wynk Studio acquires music distribution rights for "Love All" with Kay Kay Menon.

August 2023

• Wynk Music, in partnership with Dolby, enhances audio with Dolby Atmos.

• Airtel launches Xstream AirFiber, India's first wireless home Wi-Fi service.

• Airtel introduces Airtel IQ Reach, the nation's first self-serve marketing platform.

July 2023

Airtel settles high-cost deferred liabilities for spectrum acquired in 2015 by prepaying Rs. 8024 crores.
Airtel Business achieves a significant milestone, becoming India's inaugural enterprise to empower over 20 million connected devices.

June 2023

• Airtel Business undergoes leadership team changes.

• Matter Motor Works partners with Airtel Business for AERA motorbikes.

• Airtel Business collaborates with the Ministry of Education to support the Government of India's Ed-Tech platform - DIKSHA.

• Airtel experiences increased demand for International Roaming Packs during peak travel season in Delhi.

May 2023

• Airtel celebrates a 2 million-strong customer base.

• Airtel Xstream integrates FanCode into its content offerings.

• Dialog, Axiata Group, and Bharti Airtel sign a binding term sheet to merge operations in Sri Lanka.

• Airtel announces a partnership with Bridgepointe Technologies as part of the Global Channel Partners Programme.

April 2023

Airtel 5G Plus extends its reach to over 3000 cities and towns nationwide, including Ladakh.
Airtel collaborates with Secure Meters to implement 1.3 million NB-IoT powered smart meters in Bihar.

March 2023

• Airtel partners with India Post Payments Bank for WhatsApp Banking Services.

• Airtel introduces its "Unlimited Data" promotion for 5G customers.

•Airtel announces its extensive 5G rollout, covering 125 cities.

February 2023

• Airtel reached a significant milestone with over 10 million unique customers on its 5G network.

• Airtel partnered with NVIDIA to implement AI-powered speech analytics solutions for enhanced customer service.

• Airtel established a strategic alliance with Vultr to offer cloud solutions for enterprises.

January 2023

• Bharti Airtel appointed Naval Sethu as the Head of Investor Relations.

EVOLUTION OF BHARTI AIRTEL: FROM PAST TO PRESENT:

Year	Evolution
1983 – 84	Sunil Mittal initiated the assembly of push-button phones in India.
1986	Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL), founded by Sunil Mittal, became the first company in the country to introduce push-button telephones under Bharti Enterprises.
1990	Sunil Mittal pioneered the introduction of the country's first fax machine and the first cordless telephones.
1992	Sunil Mittal successfully secured the bid to construct a cellular phone network in Delhi.
1995	Sunil Mittal established cellular operations in Delhi under the name Bharti Tele-Ventures.
1996	Sunil Mittal expanded cellular operations to include Himachal Pradesh.
1999	Bharti Enterprises, under Sunil Mittal's leadership, gained control of JT Holdings and expanded cellular operations to encompass Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
2000	The company, under the leadership of Sunil Mittal, acquired control of Spice Cell in Kolkata.
2002	Bharti Enterprises, led by Sunil Mittal, underwent an initial public offering (IPO), leading to the company being listed on both the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE).
2003	The cellular phone operations were rebranded under the unified Airtel brand.
2004	Bharti, under the leadership of Sunil Mittal, gained control of Hexacom, marking its entry into the state of Rajasthan.
July 2004	In July 2004, Airtel introduced "Hello Tunes," a Caller Ring Back Tone (CRBT) service, becoming the first operator in India to do so. The Airtel theme song, composed by A.R. Rahman, emerged as the most popular tune of that year.
2005	Bharti, under Sunil Mittal's leadership, expanded its network to include Andaman and Nicobar Islands. This strategic expansion enabled the company to provide voice services throughout the entirety of India.
2009	Airtel initiated its first international mobile network in Sri Lanka.
2010	Airtel acquired the African operations of the Kuwait-based Zain Telecom.
2009 – 10	Bharti negotiated with its strategic partner Alcatel-Lucent for the management of network infrastructure for the tele-media business.
2012	Airtel launched a mobile operation in Rwanda, expanding its presence into the Rwandan telecommunications market.
31st May, 2012	Airtel awarded Alcatel-Lucent a three-year contract to establish a nationwide Internet Protocol access network (mobile backhaul), aiming to improve internet speed and offer high-quality browsing on mobiles.
26 February, 2013	Airtel has deployed Ericsson's MBC solution, modernizing its prepaid services in India. This collaboration enables personalized data charging plans for prepaid customers across domains like mobility, fixed line, and broadband, spanning 2G to Wi-Fi. Airtel is the first operator to achieve extensive geographical redundancy at this scale with flexible multi-service charging.
March, 2013	Airtel has entered into a definitive agreement to fully acquire Warid Uganda.
May,2013	Bharti Infotel compensated a customer Rs 50,000 for perceived unfair trade practices. The customer claimed that despite repeated requests for service disconnection, the company persistently demanded payment in an aggressive manner
2014	Airtel surpasses the 200 million mobile customer milestone in India.
2015	Airtel acquired Augere Wireless Broadband India Private Limited, which held 4G spectrum in the Chhattisgarh-Madhya Pradesh circle.
2016	Orange SA and Bharti Airtel agreed to sell Airtel's operations in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone to Orange. Airtel Bangladesh merged into Robi as a product brand under Robi Axiata, where Robi Axiata Limited holds the Airtel brand license. Robi is a joint venture between Axiata Group, Bharti Airtel, and NTT Docomo, with Axiata having a 68.7% controlling stake, Bharti holding 25%, and the remaining 6.3% owned by NTT Docomo. India's TRAI recommended a Rs. 3,050 crore penalty on Vodafone, Bharti Airtel, and Idea Cellular for denying interconnection to Reliance Jio Infocomm, equivalent to Rs. 44 billion or US$550 million in 2023.
2017	Airtel secured ownership of Augere Wireless, Telenor India, Tikona 4G spectrum, and Tigo Rewards. On December 16, 2017, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) suspended the license for eKYC of Aadhaar for both Bharti Airtel and Airtel Payments Bank Limited. This action was taken in response to customer complaints of accounts being opened without consent, with some customers receiving LPG subsidies in their Airtel Payments Bank accounts.
2018	Airtel served as a sponsor for the 2018–21 FIA GT World Cup.
2019	Bharti Airtel acquired Tata Docomo. Airtel offers Telemedia services in 99 cities, boasting 2.342 million broadband subscribers as of June 30, 2019. In the Digital Television sector, it provides Direct-to-Home (DTH) TV services under the brand Airtel digital TV, with approximately 16.027 million customers by June 2019. Airtel, with over 99 million subscribers, is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is part of the FTSE 250 Index.
2020	Airtel Tigo underwent rebranding and is now known as Airtel Rwanda.
2021	As of May 2021, Airtel is the second-largest mobile operator with a customer base of 348.3 million.
2022	Bharti Airtel revealed its acquisition of a strategic stake in the blockchain startup Aqilliz through its "Airtel Startup Accelerator Program." As of June 2022, Bharti Airtel boasts approximately 496.91 million subscribers globally.

Company Information
Name	Bharti Airtel
Founded year	7th July 1995
Founding chairman	Sunil Bharti Mittal
Headquarters	New Delhi, India
Industry	Telecommunications
Current chairman	Sunil Bharti Mittal
Major subsidiaries	Airtel India Airtel Payments Bank Airtel digital TV Airtel Sri Lanka Airtel Africa Airtel-Vodafone (50%) Robi (28.18%) Wynk Music
revenue	Rs. 140,081.40 crore (US$18 billion) (2023)
Geographical presence	India, Africa, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, UK, USA, Hongkong, Japan, Singapore, France
NSE code	BHARTIARTL
BSE code	532454

TIMELINE OF BHARTI AIRTEL:

Year	Fact	Description
7th July, 1995	Incorporation of ‘Bharti Airtel’	Launched mobile services under the brand name ‘Airtel’ in Delhi through Bharti Cellular Limited, their subsidiary
1996	Commencement	Certificate of Commencement of Business
1999	Investment by Warburg Pincus	Warburg Pincus (through its investment company Brentwood Investment Holdings Limited) acquired 5.26% equity interest in the Company in September 1999
2002	Listing	Listing of the equity shares of face value of Rs. 10 each on the BSE, NSE and Delhi Stock Exchange pursuant to the Company’s IPO
2005	India’s Largest Mobile Operator	Became India’s largest mobile operator in terms of mobile services subscriber base, with pan India footprint as on March 2005. It achieved the distinction of being the initial private telecommunications operator to establish a comprehensive network covering all 23 circles in India.
2008	Launched DTH services	Launched DTH services through Bharti Telemedia Limited, their Subsidiary
2009	Entered Sri Lanka	Launched mobile services in Sri Lanka through Bharti Airtel Lanka (Private) Limited, their Subsidiary
2010	Entered Africa	Airtel ventured into Africa by finalizing an agreement with the Zain Group to acquire Zain Africa BV.
2011	Launched 3G	Launched 3G services in India
2012	Launched 4G	Launched 4G services in India
2013	Investment by Qatar Foundation	The Qatar Foundation Endowment SPC, through its affiliate Three Pillars Pte. Ltd., injected an investment of roughly Rs. 67.96 billion into the company.
2017	Launched Airtel Payments Bank Ltd.	Launched pan India payments bank through Airtel Payments Bank Limited, their Subsidiary in accordance with the Companies Act

INSIDE BHARTI AIRTEL: EXPLORING SUBSIDIARY VENTURES:

Bharti Airtel/ Airtel India

Corporate Actions:

In August 2023, the most recent board meeting of Bharti Airtel convened to deliberate on the quarterly results.
The Annual General Meeting for the fiscal year ending March 2023 took place in February 2023.
Bharti Airtel has announced an equity dividend of 80.00%, equating to Rs 4 per share. Given the share price of Rs 942.95, this corresponds to a dividend yield of 0.42%.

Main News:

In collaboration with Ericsson, Airtel has effectively conducted India's inaugural RedCap technology test on its 5G network.
Shashwat Sharma has been promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer at Bharti Airtel.