IMC 2026: Airtel CEO Says Entry-Level, Inclusive Plans Have to Stay Where They Are
Bharti Airtel’s MD and CEO outlines the company’s pricing strategy, postpaid growth plans, data centre expansion, competition and the potential coexistence of satellite and terrestrial connectivity.
Bharti Airtel’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD and CEO), Shashwat Sharma, said on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress 2026 that the pricing architecture should move to higher-usage customers paying more. He added that satellite services would coexist with mobile services and fiber broadband. Airtel expects its average revenue per user (ARPU) to cross Rs 300, helped by an increase in the share of postpaid customers to 20 percent over the long term, from about 8 percent currently, Shashwat said.
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Airtel Targets ARPU Growth Beyond Rs 300
“I believe it’s around the corner…we can go much beyond Rs 300 as well,” Shashwat said. Airtel currently has an industry-leading ARPU of Rs 264 as of Q1FY27, which ended on June 30, 2026.
Airtel Revises Postpaid Plans, Adds International Roaming Benefits
Airtel’s recent tariff revisions are aimed at encouraging a portion of its approximately 346.5 million prepaid subscribers to switch to postpaid plans. Previously, Airtel discontinued its Rs 549 individual postpaid plan, leaving the Rs 449 plan as the entry-level individual postpaid option, while the Rs 699 plan became the next available option. This was followed by Airtel’s recent announcement of what it calls “All New Airtel Postpaid Plans”, which are bundled with international roaming benefits. More details about the benefits can be found in the story below. With this move, Airtel has increased the pricing of its postpaid plans by Rs 50.
Postpaid Upgrades Emerge as a Key Growth Lever for Airtel
“We believe we need to upgrade a lot of customers,” Shashwat said, describing postpaid upgrades as “a great lever in the industry.” Postpaid accounts for about 12 percent of Airtel’s revenue, he noted.
The quarterly pace of postpaid additions has accelerated from roughly 800,000 to about 1–1.1 million in the reported first quarter, marking an increase of around 30 percent.
Speaking about Airtel’s recent Rs 50 tariff revision for postpaid plans, Shashwat said, “People have to pay for consumption… Entry-level, inclusive plans have to stay where they are.”
With all three telecom players becoming competitive in the market, the time was right to look at tariff hikes, he said.
Shashwat said family plans offer particular value when households add second and third connections. The opportunity, he said, lies in offering differentiated experiences that encourage customers to upgrade.
Airtel Sees 5–7% Annual ARPU Growth Potential Through Better Pricing
Citing Indonesia and the Philippines as examples, Shashwat said that tiers of plans ranging from small to extra-large and a better pricing structure could allow the industry to sustain annual ARPU growth of 5-7 percent.
Asked whether Reliance Jio’s upcoming public market listing could lead to fewer discounts and a change in telecom pricing, he said, “I think that’s a big capital market event in the country. I wish them best… But I think this correction of pricing architecture may or may not be linked to this IPO… It’s an industry problem.”
Airtel Data Centre Business Expected to Deliver Returns Over 20–25 Years
On Airtel’s data centre business and its planned capacity expansion of 1 GW, Shashwat said, “The business has very healthy returns,” explaining that while capital is invested upfront, returns accrue over a long period. “It pays off for 20-25 years.”
On competition in the sector, he said: “We are a company that has been born out of competition. We welcome competition. I think now it’s increasingly clear that in half the country, it’s a three-player game, and it’s good for India that we have three operators which are becoming healthy and can compete.”
On the next round of tariff hikes, he said: “I feel we must have the right tariff hikes at the right time. I feel there are enough people in this country who are paying enough for just basic services, and there are a lot of people using very high-end services and consuming a lot of data who need to pay a little bit more. And if we are able to correct that (pricing architecture), that’s the real outcome.”
Satellite, Fibre and Wireless Networks Will Coexist, Says Airtel CEO
On satellite broadband and connectivity availability, Shashwat said: “I see a future where terrestrial networks, fiber, wireless, and satellite coexist. But the frameworks and how this has to come about are still unclear, so very early to comment.”
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