Indian telecom operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) announced AI-powered initiatives for customers and enterprises, showcased 5G and artificial intelligence (AI)-powered use case demos, including skilling, telco APIs, self-organising network or SON, and satellite communications (satcom), and more at the recently concluded India Mobile Congress (IMC 2025) in October. Let's take a look at all the developments, announcements made by Vi, and quotes from the company's leadership at the event in the story ahead.
"The 5G and AI use cases we are showcasing highlight how technology can create real impact, right from equipping India with skills at scale to protecting citizens from cyber frauds to empowering MSMEs and enterprises with cutting-edge solutions to digitise and transform," said Abhijit Kishore, CEO, Vi, according to an ETTelecom report [1] dated October 9, 2025.
1. Vi Unveils Vi Protect: AI-Powered Safety for Customers and Enterprises
During the IMC 2025 event, Vi announced Vi Protect, a comprehensive AI-powered initiative that unifies all of Vi's consumer, network, and enterprise safety and security measures against the rapidly evolving landscape of spam, scams, and cyber-attacks under one umbrella.
As part of this initiative, on October 8th, Vi introduced two measures — an AI-based Voice Spam Detection System and an AI-driven network defence and incident response system for its core network. Vi said its voice spam detection detects and flags fraudulent and spam calls in real time. Using advanced AI models, web crawlers and user feedback, it identifies suspicious callers before they reach the customer.
Vi said when a potentially fraudulent number calls a Vi customer, the phone screen will display 'Suspected Spam', thereby helping customers decide whether to answer the call. Unlike third-party caller ID apps, this feature works natively within Vi’s network, ensuring better accuracy and enhanced privacy.
This new feature builds on Vi's existing consumer protection measures that now fall under the Vi Protect umbrella, including:
- Spam Filtering of Text Messages: Fraudulent SMS messages are detected and flagged to customers
- International Calling Display: A first-of-its-kind measure in the industry, International Calling Display makes it easier for customers to easily recognise genuine international calls and make informed decisions.
- AI-powered Threat Analysis: Integrated with Vi's DNS, SMS, and Voice Gateways, an analytical engine continuously learns from threat patterns to enhance protection
Thus far, Vi said its security systems have successfully flagged over 600 million spam and scam calls and messages, protecting millions of customers from fraud and data theft. Vi will soon be launching URL Protection in real time: scanning and blocking suspicious links to prevent phishing and malware attacks.
Under Vi Protect, Vi has also introduced an upgraded AI-powered Cyber Defense and Incident Response System to protect its core network and enterprise operations. According to the company, this defense center uses agentic and generative AI models to detect, analyze, and neutralize potential cyber threats in under an hour, compared to earlier longer response times. The system is nearly 70 percent more accurate and minimizes false positives. The solution follows a five-step defense mechanism, including:
- Anomaly Detection: Agentic AI proactively detects abnormal activity
- Contextualization and Categorization: The system classifies incidents using contextual intelligence
- Interface Engine Agent: High-volume data is processed for rapid decision-making
- Suggestive Intelligence: AI prioritizes response actions based on risk levels
- Human Validation: Expert analysts validate AI findings, continuously improving the model
Vi will also extend this capability to its enterprise customers soon, offering predictive insights by correlating global cyber events and attack timelines.
Through Vi Protect, Vi said it is reinforcing its commitment to cyber resilience and enhancing customer trust, strengthening its role as a secure and trusted enabler of India’s digital future.
Speaking on Vi Protect, Jagbir Singh, Chief Technology Officer, Vi, said, "With India's growing digital adoption and global prominence, protecting customers networks has never been more important. Vi Protect uses advanced AI and proactive measures to protect our customers and strengthen our networks. Vi Protect is our commitment to a safe and trusted digital environment."
2. Showcase Leveraging API Solutions
As part of APIs, Vi showcased solutions for fraud prevention, which leverage mobile network-based authentication to seamlessly verify a user's phone number in the background, eliminating the need for manual input or user interaction. At its core is SIM binding, a security feature that links the user's registered mobile number's SIM card to their account and device.
This binding establishes a secure authentication layer that is highly resistant to SIM swap fraud and the interception of SMS-based one-time passwords.
3. Satcom Technology Showcase with AST SpaceMobile
Vi also showcased how satellite technology will revolutionise remote connectivity in collaboration with AST SpaceMobile. "Central to the exhibit is a prototype of the BlueBird 3 satellite, highlighting the potential of satellite communications to bridge the digital divide in regions beyond the reach of traditional terrestrial networks. The use case demonstrates how satellite networks support uninterrupted, high-speed, low-latency connectivity for remote communities, enabling critical communication during natural disasters, and enhancing safety for travellers and professionals in isolated areas," said Vi.
According to Vi, "From remote villages to offshore seas, to mountain towns — Satellite Communication ensures every Indian stays connected."
The telco said it has deployed a multi-vendor, multi-technology agnostic AI module that analyses real-time network usage patterns to optimise energy consumption. It claimed that the deployment has led to an annual reduction of "5 lakh metric tons of CO2 emissions, equivalent to planting 13 million trees."
4. Vi B2B Solutions
Vi's business-to-business (B2B) unit, Vi Business, also displayed enterprise solutions at IMC 2025, including automation of workplaces, Vi Business CCaaS (contact center-as-a-service) solutions, next-generation enterprise security and connectivity solutions, including secure Wi-Fi powered by HPE Aruba.
From AI-enabled Vi Business that enhances customer journeys, and Agentic AI that modernises internal processes, to an Autonomous SOC powered by AI for intelligent threat detection, Vi showcased next-generation solutions for a modern workplace, that are designed to help enterprises unlock new levels of productivity, efficiency, and security, according to a post by ViNewsOfficial on X on October 9, 2025.
Agentic Payments
Vi shared that it is proud to be among the first merchants in India to enable AI-powered conversational payment experience, through Agentic Payments. "Launched by Razorpay, in partnership with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), at the recent Global Fintech Fest 2025, this innovation allows our customers to seamlessly recharge plans or purchase multiple vouchers in a single conversational flow on the Vi App," ViNewsOfficial shared in a post on X.
4. Vodafone Idea's ARPU Rises for 16 Quarters Despite Slow 5G Rollout
Vodafone Idea's average revenue per user (ARPU) has been increasing for the past 16 quarters despite the debt-laden telecom operator being on the back foot with 5G services, said its chief marketing officer Avneesh Khosla, according to an ET report by Subhrojit Mallick dated October 9, 2025.
Khosla said that this has been achieved primarily by leveraging existing assets of the company and upgrading existing users to higher-value plans by differentiating through unlimited night data, data rollovers and bundled services.
"One of the larger things we have done is around the core propositions that we've built over the last couple of years, which was nothing but how do we differentiate from our competitor," Khosla reportedly said.
"Tariff increases are important, but our ability to sweat out more revenue from existing customers will continue to happen. There is more scope to do so even without tariff increases," Khosla said.
However, Vi considers a tariff hike inevitable in the near future. "Like any other category, there is inflation, and therefore tariff hardening will continue," Khosla was quoted as saying, adding that future hikes will take a variable approach instead of a one-size-fits-all approach.
"There's a fair bit of work we do at the back end using machine learning and AI (artificial intelligence) models to accurately predict the consumers that can take tariff increases and those who will be price-inelastic," he reportedly said.
Khosla said the telco's ability to slow down subscriber losses in the past few quarters was largely driven by its improvement in network quality and the overall customer experience. This was done by addressing network failures, improvement in customer services, introduction of differentiated prepaid offerings and communicating its network expansion.
The company's 5G service, which is available in 29 cities across India as of August, is being introduced on the basis of weighted criteria depending on the 5G device concentration, higher ARPU customers and deployment in circles where current network capacity has been low, as 5G technology helps to offload capacity, Khosla reportedly said.
Vi, however, has no plans to launch fixed wireless access (FWA) to monetise its 5G network, he reportedly said, adding that the economics of FWA are not compelling because the company does not have a fibre-to-the-home offering.
"FWA customers use significantly more capacity than mobile broadband customers, almost six to seven times. But despite the massive capacity consumption, the ARPU multiple is not as high. The resource spent is not being aggressively compensated," Khosla was quoted as saying.
Following successful rounds of equity funding and debt funding, including having the government as its largest shareholder, Vi plans to address the perception of the company struggling to survive through marketing campaigns in the near future, he said.
"The goal is that as more consumers experience the new and reinforced network, particularly 5G, this will start cementing and building the perception that the brand is here to stay," Khosla said.
5. Vi's Showcase at IMC 2025
At India Mobile Congress 2025, Vi presented a range of 5G and AI-driven technologies under the theme "Advantage India with Human-novations." The company focused on how advanced technologies like AI, robotics, mixed reality, and satellite communication can work with human creativity to support India's development.
AI-Based Learning Platform
Vi's display included a tool to support Skill India—an AI-based learning platform that helps people gain job-ready skills quickly and at scale. "Today, AI is transforming the way we fix and build." Supporting the Skill India vision, Vi showcased "an immersive AI-powered self-learning tool, to show how vocational skills can be imparted at scale and enable our youth to compete at a global stage."
Vocal for Local AI Platform
Another highlight was Vocal for Local, an AI platform for artisans, helping them modernise traditional crafts for today's market.
"India is home to thousands of unique crafts and millions of artisans, making it one of the largest collections of traditional art forms in the world. Local to Global makes a case for Indian Artisans, where AI-powered concept creation tools can help them reimagine traditional crafts for global markets while preserving India's cultural heritage. Artisans can harness AI-powered design tools to transform traditional craftsmanship into creations that are globally appealing while staying true to cultural authenticity. From local workshops to global markets, this fusion of tradition and technology can empower artisans to preserve heritage, embrace innovation, and create opportunities for the future," ViNewsOfficial shared on X.
Visitor Engagement with Roborocks
Vi also invited visitors to engage with Roborocks, a hands-on robotics challenge using VEX IQ robots developed by students as part of the Vi Foundation’s Robotics Lab initiative. Implemented in government-aided schools in partnership with Ericsson, the programme has benefitted over 3,600 students.
From accessible and engaging learning with classrooms beyond walls, to hands-on skill development through risk-free simulations, and eliminating language barriers with voice-assisted VR tools, Vi said its VR experience highlights how urban mobility, healthcare, waste management, and sustainability will become more inclusive and future-ready.
6. Who Visited Vi's Booth at IMC 2025?
Some notable visitors to Vi's booth, as highlighted by the company, included the following.
- Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, Government of India, explored Vi's latest innovations and solutions at the Vi Booth.
- Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Rural Development and Communications, Government of India, visited the Vi Business booth. He explored Vi's range of AI-powered and secure solutions that are transforming enterprises and empowering India's MSMEs.
- Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia visited the Vi Booth during IMC 2025. He was accompanied on a walkthrough of the booth by Abhijit Kishore, CEO, Vi, and Ravinder Takkar, Non-Executive Chairman, Vi, where the Minister explored Vi's MSMEs of Bharat platform, supporting small businesses across the country.
- Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Printing and Stationery, Government of Goa, explored the Vi Booth.
- Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman, TRAI, and Ritu Ranjan Mittar, Member, TRAI, also visited the Vi Experience Zone.
- Manish Kumar Sinha, Member (Finance), Department of Telecommunications, visited the Vi Booth. He explored Vi's tech and network innovations that are contributing to India's evolving telecom ecosystem, according to the telco.
- Anand Khare, Advisor (Operations), DoT, and Debkumar Chakrabarti, Member (Services), DoT, visited the Vi Booth at IMC 2025, where they experienced a demo of Vi's "Connecting the Unconnected" solution, which highlights the potential of satellite communications to bridge the digital divide in regions beyond the reach of traditional terrestrial networks.
- Devendra Kumar Rai, Joint Secretary (Telecom) at IMC 2025, experienced a demo of Vi's MSMEs of Bharat platform, which supports small businesses across the country.
- Tarun Kapoor, Advisor to the Prime Minister, visited the Vi Experience Zone during IMC 2025. He explored Vi's Connecting the Unconnected solution, demonstrating how satellite technology is set to revolutionise connectivity in remote areas, as well as the MSMEs of Bharat platform, which continues to support small businesses across the country.
7. Leadership Speaks - What They Said
EVP – Technology
Rajesh Singh, EVP – Technology, Vi, spoke on Day 1 of IMC2025 at a session on 5G Evolution.
"RAN continues to be the biggest cost center for the industry, but also the biggest opportunity for transformation. With data becoming more intelligent and AI now sitting between humans, devices, and networks, we're witnessing a real evolution. At Vi, we're leveraging AI-driven RAN insights to optimize performance and unlock new use cases. As cloudification and next-gen computing reshape the ecosystem, intelligent RAN will be at the core of driving efficiency, innovation, and the true power of 5G," said Rajesh Singh, EVP - Technology, Vi.
Chief Technology Officer
Jagbir Singh shared his insights at IMC2025 during the session "Aligning Innovation with Policy for Digital Leadership."
"We are witnessing tremendous development across India, but there are still several challenges at the ground level, especially when it comes to coordination with local authorities. Keeping in mind that telecom services are essential services, we need to ensure good policy support to enable good consumer experience & growth of Digital India. For India to maintain a competitive and efficient growth environment, smoother execution frameworks are essential. That said, the government deserves credit for its progressive digital & infrastructure policies, which are helping the industry move in the right direction. With continued collaboration between the private sector & government, we can accelerate the next phase of India's digital growth," said Jagbir Singh, Chief Technology Officer, Vi.
VP-Digital
On Day 2 of IMC2025, Rohit Misra, VP-Digital, Vi, spoke at the panel "The API-Powered Economy – Scaling Innovation through Open and Interoperable Networks," emphasizing the role of APIs in unlocking scalable, secure, and responsible innovation across diverse industries.
"It is essential to look at the broader framework as we move deeper into the API-powered economy. At Vi, data security and customer privacy are at the core of every innovation we pursue. With an ever-expanding range of data signals, there's a tremendous opportunity to develop scalable and standardised solutions suited to India's diverse market. The mobile number continues to be one of the strongest digital identities, giving telcos a unique edge in enabling secure and interoperable experiences. Just as UPI transformed digital payments through collaboration and openness, Telecom APIs can unlock the next wave of innovation across industries, responsibly and at scale," said Rohit Misra, VP - Digital, Vi.
EVP - Technology
Gulshan Khurana, EVP - Technology, Vi, joined industry leaders at a panel titled "Shaping the Network Economy: The NaaS Imperative (Part B)," where he highlighted that the race for NaaS adoption will begin with enterprises before reaching consumers.
"The concept of NaaS is not new and has been tried in various forms and fashions. What we're seeing now is the deployment of new networks, with cost-effectiveness and multitude of services as the first imperative. Multiple offerings can be built on the same infrastructure, but enterprises today face growing complexity in managing networks. The difficulty often appears during large-scale deployments, depending on what we want the end consumer to experience. The race for NaaS adoption will begin with enterprises before reaching consumer business. It's not just about opening up APIs as we need a robust system that truly delivers NaaS as a true service experience," said Gulshan Khurana, EVP - Technology, Vi.
EVP - Technology
Nirupmay Kumar, EVP - Technology, Vi, spoke at a panel session titled "Responsible AI: India's Role in Global Governance and Societal Impact," where he shared insights on why accountability in AI begins right from the design stage and how Vi's internal AI governance framework continues to evolve with time.
"At Vi, accountability in AI begins right from the design stage. Every AI project we take up goes through multiple layers of scrutiny, ensuring governance and ethical considerations are built into the process and not added at the end. Our internal AI governance framework continues to evolve with time, guided by our core value of trust towards customers. For us, responsible innovation means testing for reliability and fairness throughout creation, so that transparency and accountability remain integral to every product and services. With our wide network reach, Vi has helped connect remote communities to digital services like UPI, healthcare, and education. The government's supportive frameworks have been instrumental in enabling structured, responsive governance wherever escalations arise," said Nirupmay Kumar, EVP - Technology, Vi.
Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer
Ambika Khurana, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer, Vi, gave her insights at the session "Combating Scams at Scale – Collective Action for Digital Trust."
"We've implemented a wide range of AI-driven measures, from classifying SMSs and blocking malicious URLs to warning users about suspected spam calls and messages. The scale is massive, running into millions every day. There is continued focus on preventing international spoofing and improving grievance redressal, and educating subscribers. Privacy, both user and enterprise, is equally critical. We are running pilots to build fool proof, intelligent consent mechanisms while aligning over a very wide range of AI-fuelled technology initiatives and regulatory interventions. The way forward lies in structured collaboration amongst Government and Industry players (including Telecom and Digital communication service providers) in terms of effective alignment, stronger enforcement, communication, and collective action as a digital society," said Ambika Khurana, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer.
CTSO and DPO
Mathan Babu Kasilingam, CTSO and DPO, Vi, spoke at a panel discussion titled "Telecom Network Defense: Fortifying the Digital Frontier," where he emphasized that as AI evolves, the industry must implement safeguards that are predictive, adaptive, and resilient.
"With 5G, the convergence of IT and telecom infrastructure has accelerated rapidly. What we once secured in IT must now extend seamlessly across networks. Through Suggestive, Predictive, with AI at Core, Retrospective and Conversational capabilities, we're enabling real-time monitoring and dynamic defense of both IT and telecom systems. We're also addressing fraud as a cybersecurity challenge, using API-driven intelligence to build secure, 'Made in India, for India' solutions. As AI evolves, the industry must stay ahead with safeguards that are predictive, adaptive, and resilient," said Mathan Babu Kasilingam, CTSO and Data Privacy Officer.
Mathan Babu Kasilingam also shared his insights at another session titled "Al Cyber Nexus: Securing a Future Powered by AI."
"At Vi, our AI journey began with a vision to reimagine cybersecurity — transforming it from a barrier into an enabler of digital innovation. As security events surged from a billion a month to nearly a billion a day, we built a powerful data foundation for AI-led threat detection and contextual analysis. This evolution highlights both the promise and the responsibility of using AI in security," said Mathan Babu Kasilingam.
EVP – SME
Gaurav Goel, EVP – SME, Biz Ops and Strategic Projects, Vi, spoke at IMC2025 in the session "Rewriting the Rules: Gen AI and the Future of Enterprise."
"We're seeing growing comfort with GenAI — from individuals using everyday tools to enterprises embedding it in content creation and customer engagement. At Vi Business, we're focused on using AI to boost productivity, refine processes, and drive smarter outcomes. By learning from our customers and empowering employees to explore AI safely, we're evolving our business models responsibly — with a firm commitment to innovation, data protection, and meaningful value for every customer," said Gaurav Goel, EVP – SME, Biz Ops & Strategic Projects.
EVP – Technology
At the IMC2025 panel, "Democratizing Intelligence: Building India's AI Infrastructure (Part B)," Dusmanta Pradhan, EVP – Technology, Vi, spoke about how strengthening AI education and enabling practical applications across sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and education can drive transformation at the grassroots level.
"Accessible and well-governed data is central to unlocking India's AI potential. We must invest in robust policies on privacy, frameworks, and responsible use, ensuring technology reaches every citizen. Strengthening AI education, from colleges to research hubs, and enabling practical applications in agriculture, healthcare, and classrooms can drive transformation at the grassroots. Efforts like Make in India and the push for homegrown chipsets signal clear progress. A national public cloud, created and managed by the Government of India at affordable access, could empower individuals and industries alike to advance their AI journey. Close cooperation between the Centre and State governments will be essential in building AI clusters that deliver inclusive and sustainable impact, said Dusmanta Pradhan, EVP – Technology.
At the panel discussion on "Intelligent, Adaptive, Secure: The Rise of Autonomous Networks," Dusmanta Pradhan, EVP-Technology, Vi, spoke about how integration is the true enabler of autonomous networks, not just in terms of technology, but also in shaping organizational frameworks and operations.
"When we talk about autonomous networks, integration is the real enabler not just of technology, but also of organizational frameworks and operations. The foundation must be a simplified, uniform architecture with interoperability and open APIs at its core. Once that's achieved, we can define algorithms that allow networks to learn and self-optimize. Governance is equally critical across technology, organization, and operations to ensure transparency, accountability, and responsible AI. Ultimately, it's about designing networks with humans in the loop and defining what responsible automation truly means for operator and enterprise networks," said Dusmanta Pradhan.
EVP – Technology
R. Gopalakrishnan, EVP – Technology, Vi, shared insights on the panel "Is 5G Fueling The Enterprise Shift," highlighting how 5G adoption is being driven by real-world use cases, and emphasized that 5G is not a standalone technology but a strategic investment.
"5G adoption in the enterprise space has a larger dependency on the ecosystem. It's the nature and strength of use cases that really determines whether the technology is leveraged effectively or not. Today, 5G adoption is taking shape in areas like smart manufacturing and smart mobility, where it enables and delivers direct business benefits. From a telco standpoint, we see a continuous evolution of use cases in key industry segments triggering a definitive move towards the 5G technology adoption. Also, 5G should not be seen as a standalone or replacement technology, but rather as a strategic investment opportunity. The proliferation of IoT will further drive 5G adoption as it depends on a broader ecosystem of cloud, AI devices, and intelligence. As use cases expand, the ecosystem strengthens, and 5G adoption naturally accelerates," said R Gopalakrishnan, EVP – Technology.
VP – Emergent Business
At the panel discussion "Cyber Resilience: Building a Nationwide Threat Intelligence and Response Ecosystem," Ashtosh Zadoo, VP – Emergent Business, Vi, spoke about how safeguarding the nation's digital backbone requires a cybersecurity framework built on collective efforts from enterprises, network providers, and policymakers.
"While businesses are rightly focused on securing their data, it's time we think beyond individual enterprises and work towards building a national cyber shield, a dome of protection for the country. With AI and automation advancing rapidly, intelligence must be embedded into our systems to make security truly autonomous. Our cybersecurity framework must be strong enough to safeguard the nation’s digital backbone. This requires collective effort from enterprises, network providers, and policymakers to move in the right direction together," said Ashtosh Zadoo, VP – Emergent Business.
Ravinder Takkar, Chairman, Vodafone Idea Limited, highlighted that India's digital journey is moving beyond world-class standards under visionary leadership.
