Bharti Airtel announced plans to scale up its NBFC arm, Airtel Money Limited, with a capital infusion of Rs 20,000 crore over the next few years, the telco said in a statement on Monday.
Airtel will contribute 70% of the planned capital, while the promoter group through Bharti Enterprises Limited will bring in the remaining 30%. The move comes soon after Airtel Money received its NBFC licence from the Reserve Bank of India on February 13, 2026, enabling the company to directly expand its lending operations.
Airtel’s credit engine
The company said the expansion will build on its existing digital lending infrastructure and data capabilities. Airtel has developed a credit engine over the past two years through its lending service provider (LSP) model, supported by integrated digital channels, analytics capabilities and a large team of data scientists.
The platform has already seen more than Rs 9,000 crore in disbursements, alongside what the company described as strong underwriting, disciplined portfolio management and real-time risk monitoring.
What did Gopal Vittal say?
“The success of our LSP platform over the past two years is proof of our ability to combine technology, data, and customer trust to deliver impact at a national scale. We have built one of India’s most trusted and scalable digital credit engines—reaching millions with high-quality credit supported by industry-best performance metrics,” said Gopal Vittal, executive vice chairman, Bharti Airtel.
“Our NBFC expansion strengthens this foundation and reflects our ambition to build a differentiated, future-ready digital lending business – one that stands for trust, innovation, and financial inclusion.”
Airtel said the NBFC’s disbursement journey will be integrated with its existing LSP platform while maintaining operational segregation between the two. The company expects this structure to help deliver a smoother customer experience while leveraging technology, data and customer insights at scale.
The telecom operator added that the NBFC push is part of a broader opportunity in India’s credit market. With the country’s formal credit-to-GDP ratio at about 53%, the company sees significant headroom to expand access to formal lending, particularly among underserved consumers.
Beyond financial inclusion, Airtel indicated the NBFC will serve as a strategic adjacency for the business, helping monetise its large customer base and diversify revenue streams. The company aims to position the platform as a long-term growth engine within India’s fast-expanding digital financial services landscape.