In 2016, India launched the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) a bold, interoperable platform that revolutionised digital payments and became a global benchmark for scalable, public-tech infrastructure. Nearly a decade later, Bharti Airtel is attempting something strikingly similar in a different domain: telecom fraud protection.
In a move that could transform how India's mobile users are protected against scams, Airtel has proposed an industry wide joint initiative aimed at real-time detection and mitigation of telecom fraud. The company has reached out to rivals Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, and formally presented the plan to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
The proposal outlines a national framework for fraud intelligence sharing, scam URL blacklisting, cross-network coordination, and centralised fraud detection — a model that, if executed, could become the telecom equivalent of UPI in terms of impact and scalability.
Also Read: Airtel Urges BSNL, Jio, and Vi to Collaborate in Combating Cyber Fraud in Telecom Sector: Report
A Public Threat That Needs a Public-Scale Response
India recorded over 1.7 million cybercrime complaints and losses exceeding ?11,000 crore in the first nine months of 2024. With scammers exploiting network-level vulnerabilities and switching between platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, and SMS, current operator-specific protections aren’t enough.
Airtel has already implemented an in-network fraud detection system that actively blocks scam links on its mobile and Wi-Fi networks. But now, it’s going a step further — proposing an interoperable, shared solution that unites all major telecom operators in India.
What Airtel Is Proposing
- Cross-Operator Fraud Intelligence Sharing
- Centralised Platform
- Standardised Commercial Caller Database
- Always-On Protection
The pitch isn’t just technical it’s systemic. Airtel wants to create a telecom-grade safety net that works for all users, regardless of which operator they’re on.
Drawing Parallels with UPI
Just like UPI unified a fragmented payment landscape, Airtel’s fraud initiative seeks to unify telecom fraud response, which today is siloed by operator. In both cases:
- The goal is real-time, scalable action
- Collaboration across private players is critical
- Consumer trust and national security are core drivers
Where UPI empowered fintech growth and digital trust, this fraud detection layer could protect India’s digital citizens at scale, unlocking safer internet use, especially among first-time mobile users.
Global Operators Are Still in Silos
While operators worldwide are implementing scam filters, few are proposing true cross-operator frameworks like Airtel:
USA: The FCC mandates STIR/SHAKEN for caller ID authentication but lacks integrated fraud data sharing
UK: Ofcom has required telcos to block spoofed international calls, but these are still operator-driven
Singapore: Singtel offers API-based fraud prevention tools (SingVerify), but largely for enterprise clients
South Korea: SK Telecom’s ScamVanguard blocks over 1.3 million scams monthly using AI — but operates independently.
If India implements Airtel’s vision, it could become the first large market with a unified fraud protection framework, potentially influencing global standards.
Airtel’s leadership on this initiative is being driven directly from the top. Speaking at the launch of Airtel’s Fraud Detection Solution, Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Airtel, underscored the urgency of protecting Indian users from rising digital threats.
Over the last few years, we have come across several instances where unsuspecting customers have been defrauded by ingenious criminals of their hard-earned money. Our engineers have tried to solve this problem through the launch of our Fraud Detection Solution. We believe this will provide our customers total peace of mind while browsing the internet without the worry of getting scammed.
He further explained the technical approach behind Airtel’s in-network protection:
Our AI-based tool scans internet traffic, checks with global repositories and our own database of threat actors in real-time and blocks fraudulent websites. Our solution has already reached a remarkable level of accuracy in the 6 months of trials. We will continue working relentlessly until we have made our networks completely safe from spam and scam.
Vittal’s remarks not only reflect Airtel’s technical capabilities, but also its strategic commitment to safeguarding digital users at scale a move that mirrors the national impact UPI had in the financial sector.
Strategic Implications for Airtel
Policy Leadership: Airtel is signalling long-term alignment with national digital goals, much like NPCI did with UPI
Market Differentiation: In a competitive market, security and trust can become key consumer differentiators
Enterprise Growth: For sectors like BFSI, healthcare, and e-commerce, network-level security is now a major vendor consideration
Airtel’s proposal isn’t just a technical fix it’s a strategic bet on trust, safety, and collective resilience. Much like UPI, its success depends on adoption not by users, but by competing networks.
If Jio and Vodafone Idea come on board, this could mark the beginning of India’s telecom cybersecurity revolution, built not by regulation alone, but by industry initiative.
The next big public digital infrastructure may not be for payments — it could be for protection. And Airtel just might be building it.
