Bharti Airtel is sharpening its pivot toward digital infrastructure, outlining plans to dramatically scale its data centre capacity over the next three to four years. The ambition comes as the operator rides strong profit momentum and prepares for the next phase of enterprise and cloud growth.
From a current base of roughly 120–130 MW, Airtel intends to build toward nearly a gigawatt of capacity. Management believes India’s overall demand could approach similar levels in that timeframe, enabling the company to target about a quarter of the market.
Executive Vice Chairman Gopal Vittal framed the move as a strategic alignment with hyperscale and enterprise digitisation. Rather than incremental additions, the company is preparing for platform-scale infrastructure capable of supporting AI, cloud, and high-density workloads.
Capital allocation will increasingly favor data centres, cybersecurity, IoT, CPaaS, and cloud services. At the same time, leadership signaled moderation in 5G spending as device penetration improves and network rollouts mature.
Financially, the backdrop is supportive. Revenue and EBITDA growth, margin expansion, and rising ARPU underscore the benefits of premiumisation and disciplined cost management. Internal efficiency programs and AI-led optimisation are helping free resources for reinvestment.
CEO Shashwat Sharma indicated that tariff hikes are unlikely soon. Instead, Airtel plans to drive upgrades from feature phones to smartphones, expand postpaid adoption, and monetise data consumption and roaming.
The broader message is clear: telecom growth is converging with digital infrastructure. Airtel wants to be not just a connectivity provider, but a foundational player in India’s emerging AI-ready economy.
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