Airtel to sell its in-house tech globally, inks deal with Singtel

Bharti Airtel, the Indian telecoms group, is moving to monetise its in-house technology by extending its reach into the enterprise technology market, taking on global cloud providers in India while selling its operational software to other carriers globally.

The initiative is being spearheaded by Xtelify, a fully owned subsidiary created to house Airtel’s digital assets. The company has launched Airtel Cloud, a sovereign cloud platform aimed at Indian businesses, promising that all customer data will remain within the country. The move positions Airtel as a local challenger to Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, addressing the growing corporate and government demand for data localisation.

Airtel claims the platform, which it developed to handle its own 1.4 billion transactions per minute, could cut cloud spending for Indian businesses by up to 40%. Gopal Vittal, vice-chairman of Bharti Airtel, said the sovereign nature of the cloud was a key selling point. “All controls of our cloud will reside strictly within the country, ensuring zero possibility of any entity outside India being able to access any part of this data,” he said.

Alongside the cloud offering, Xtelify has also launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software suite for global telecoms operators. Leveraging the experience Airtel has gained in managing one of the world’s most complex and largest mobile markets, it is designed to help telcos improve customer experience, reduce churn and increase average revenue per user (ARPU). It includes a converged data engine for AI-led insights, a workforce platform for streamlining field operations, and an experience platform for managing the customer journey.

To support the global launch of its software, Xtelify has signed partnerships with Singtel, Globe Telecom and its sister company, Airtel Africa.

In Singapore, Singtel will deploy Xtelify Work, an enterprise platform designed to equip its field teams in Singapore with AI-powered fleet optimisation and automated task management. Ng Tian Chong, CEO of Singtel Singapore, said the platform will enable the company to “reimagine our workflows with AI at the core, improving both efficiency and customer service”.

In the Philippines, Globe Telecom will deploy Xtelify Serve, a customer service platform for omni-channel service assurance and intelligent, data-driven operations. Carl Cruz, president and CEO of Globe Telecom, said: “By integrating Xtelify’s AI-powered case management platform into our operations, we bring to life our commitment to best-in-class service across every journey, from the first touchpoint to final resolution.”

The most extensive deal is with Airtel Africa, which will roll out Xtelify’s data engine and workforce management tools across 14 countries to its 150,000-strong field team. Jacques Barkhuizen, CIO for Airtel Africa, said the partnership would enable the company to “deliver meaningful digital advancements”.

Airtel’s move to sell its in-house technology marks a pivotal moment as it seeks to transform from a traditional carrier into a technology provider, creating new revenue streams from the digital tools it has built for its own use.

“Within Airtel, we have been actively harnessing digital innovations at unmatched scale to transform our services,” said Vittal, adding that the company was now ready to help other businesses “innovate faster, scale smarter and stay secure”.