Airtel to Infuse ₹20,000 Crore Into NBFC Arm to Build Digital Lending Platform

Bharti Airtel announced a major expansion of its financial services business, unveiling plans to capitalise its Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) arm, Airtel Money Limited, with ₹20,000 crore over the next few years. The move comes days after Airtel Money received its NBFC licence from the Reserve Bank of India on February 13, 2026, allowing the telecom major to directly scale lending operations in India’s fast-growing digital credit market.

According to the company, 70% of the proposed capital infusion will come from Airtel, while the remaining 30% will be invested by the promoter group via Bharti Enterprises Limited. The expansion marks a significant step in Airtel’s strategy to build one of India’s largest digital financial platforms by leveraging its telecom reach, data capabilities, and existing digital infrastructure.

₹9,000 Crore Disbursed Through Lending Platform So Far

Airtel said it has spent the last two years building a large-scale digital credit engine through its lending service provider (LSP) platform. The company claims the platform has already reached hyperscale, with over ₹9,000 crore in loan disbursements to date. These disbursements, Airtel said, have been supported by strong underwriting systems, real-time risk monitoring, and disciplined portfolio management, resulting in low delinquency levels.

The platform is backed by a data and analytics ecosystem powered by more than 500 data scientists, alongside Airtel’s digital distribution channels.

Commenting on the development, Gopal Vittal, Executive Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel, said the NBFC expansion builds on the success of the company’s existing digital lending model. “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,” Vittal said.

He added that the NBFC foray reflects Airtel’s ambition to create a future-ready lending business focused on trust, innovation, and financial inclusion.

Targeting India’s Credit Gap

Airtel’s push comes at a time when formal credit penetration in India remains limited. According to CareEdge Ratings, India’s formal credit-to-GDP ratio stands at 53%, thus highlighting significant headroom for growth in retail and small-ticket lending. The company said the NBFC expansion is aimed at improving access to simple and secure digital financial services, particularly for underserved and underbanked consumers.

Airtel said the loan disbursement journey of the NBFC will be seamlessly integrated with its existing LSP platform, while maintaining clear operational segregation between the two entities, in line with regulatory expectations. The company said this structure would help deliver a smoother customer experience while ensuring compliance and risk controls.

As part of the licence grant, Airtel Money has issued a regulatory disclaimer stating that while it holds a valid Certificate of Registration under the RBI Act, the central bank does not guarantee the company’s financial soundness or the repayment of deposits or liabilities.

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