India’s only telco to achieve landmark, backed by customer obsession and a world-class digital network
New Delhi, April 2nd, 2026: Bharti Airtel, the world’s second largest telecom operator by customer base and one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers, has achieved another milestone - crossing 650 million customers.
According to GSMA Intelligence, Bharti Airtel is ranked second globally by mobile customer base, with operations spread across India and Africa.
Commenting on this milestone, Gopal Vittal, Executive Vice Chairman, Bharti Airtel, said: “Achieving the milestone of 650 million customers to be the second largest operator globally is a great responsibility for us to serve our customers better every day.
This is why we invest in state-of-the-art technologies to not only provide connectivity but to also deliver a safe network.
Our purpose is clear: as we deepen and expand our presence, we will strive to raise the bar on innovation, reliability, and experience so that every customer interaction is an opportunity to earn trust and deliver value connection.”
Airtel’s rank as the second-largest telecom operator by mobile customer base underscores a sustained improvement in its global standing.
The company’s operations span India and Africa, supported by a growing portfolio of digital services and infrastructure capabilities across its markets of operation:
Source: GSMA Intelligence
About Bharti Airtel:
Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 650 million customers in 15 countries across India and Africa. The company also has its presence in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka through its associate entities. The company is ranked second amongst mobile operators globally, and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high-speed 4G/5G mobile, Wi-Fi (FTTH+ FWA) that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, video streaming services, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data center services, cyber security, IoT, and cloud-based communication. Airtel’s digital arm – Xtelify, empowers telcos globally to leverage the power of AI, data and technology to accelerate their digital transformation and drive growth. Xtelify also offers Airtel Cloud in India enabling enterprises with a sovereign, telco-grade cloud platform that guarantees secure migration, effortless scaling, lower costs and no vendor lock- ins. Within its diversified portfolio, Airtel also offers passive infrastructure services through its subsidiary Indus Tower Ltd. For more details visit www.airtel.com