650 Million Strong: Airtel Becomes World’s No 2 Telecom Giant

Bharti Airtel on Thursday announced that it has crossed 650 million customers globally, emerging as the world’s second-largest telecom operator by subscriber base.

Led by Sunil Bharti Mittal, the company has established a strong footprint across India and Africa.

In India, Airtel has more than 368 million mobile users, according to GSMA Intelligence data. Its services also extend to 13 million homes through fixed broadband and 15 million Digital TV customers.

In Africa, Airtel Africa serves 179 million customers across 14 countries, offering voice, high-speed data, and mobile money services. Over 52 million users rely on its financial services platform in the region.

Despite its global scale, Airtel remains the second-largest telecom operator in India, behind Reliance Jio, which surpassed 500 million subscribers last year but operates only within the domestic market.

Reacting to the milestone, Gopal Vittal, Executive Vice Chairman of Airtel, said reaching 650 million users brings significant responsibility and reaffirmed the company’s focus on enhancing customer experience through innovation and reliable services. He added that Airtel aims to set higher industry benchmarks while continuing its expansion.

The telecom firm has also been among the early adopters of 5G services in India.

According to a Kotak Equities report, Airtel’s overall subscriber base grew at a compound annual growth rate of 2.9 per cent between FY21 and FY26, while its data subscriber base expanded at a faster pace of 9.7 per cent, reflecting increasing adoption of high-value services.

The report highlighted further growth potential, particularly in rural markets and mobile broadband. It noted that around 20 per cent of Airtel’s users are still on 2G and 3G networks, offering an opportunity for upgrades to faster and premium services.

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