Bharti Enterprises Founder and Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal
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Bharti Airtel (Airtel) remains a reliable and privileged partner to the nation with extending well beyond connectivity, and it was also building the digital highways that enable economic activity, innovation and inclusion at scale, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of the company said in its annual report.“Over the last 10 years, our company has invested significantly with over ₹3.3 trillion (₹3.30 lakh crore) in creating one of India’s strongest digital infrastructure platforms. The emergence of the 5G economy is defining the next phase of growth, enabling new use cases across industries,” Mittal said in the report.With widespread network availability, 5G is accelerating the shift towards high-speed, low-latency connectivity and unlocking new avenues for innovation, he said.“Further, we are leveraging advanced digital platforms to simplify complexity, improve efficiency and enhance agility across networks and operations. These capabilities are also helping embed sustainability more deeply into the way we build and manage our infrastructure,” he said addressing the shareholders.Talking about macroeconomic landscape, Mittal said the past year unfolded against a backdrop of relentless global flux intensifying geopolitical rivalries, the reconfiguration of supply chains and a shifting trade architecture that left few economies untouched.“India, however, is navigating these challenges, anchoring its policy in economic pragmatism and a heightened technology – forward posture in its global engagements. Digitalisation and digital infrastructure will continue to be prominent supplements to India’s geo-economic strategy, in addition to the traditional markers of its growth,” Mittal noted.He said the digital economy is a bedrock of this growth, reflected in the scale of adoption across payments, public digital infrastructure, enterprise transformation and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-led innovation.“AI has transformed systems of governance, commercial offerings, workflows and communication in ways previously unimaginable. The story of the impact of this tectonic shift to the global landscape cannot be told without India. India’s opportunity is unique in scale and pace, Mittal said.Talking about balance sheet, Mittal said consolidated operating free cash flow (EBITDAaL - Capex) reached a lifetime high of over ₹60,400 crore in FY 2025-26, with net debt-to-EBITDA improving by a further 0.6x during the year - a clear reflection of our balance sheet strength.He also said that Airtel was betting big on financial services, data centres, and cloud for the next phase of growth and Airtel has invested ₹20,000-crore in non-banking financial company Airtel Money while its data centre Nxtra recently raised $1 billion (around ₹9,500 crore) as part of its plan to build 1 gigawatt capacity.Airtel Money that got approval from the Reserve Bank of India earlier this year to operate as a non-deposit taking non-banking financial company is also a significant milestone for the company, as also, for the broader goal of expanding the reach of financial inclusion in India, he said.next phase of growthTalking about mobile business, Mittal said the emergence of the 5G economy is defining the next phase of growth, enabling new use cases across industries. With widespread network availability, 5G is accelerating the shift towards high-speed, low-latency connectivity and unlocking new avenues for innovation.“Further, we are leveraging advanced digital platforms to simplify complexity, improve efficiency and enhance agility across networks and operations. These capabilities are also helping embed sustainability more deeply into the way we build and manage our infrastructure,” Mittal added.Published on July 12, 2026
