MC EXCLUSIVE Airtel deepens enterprise play with 5G, AI and sovereign cloud for smart factories and digital infra: Enterprise CEO

Airtel Enterprise CEO

Bharti Airtel is ramping up its enterprise technology push with a sharper focus on private 5G networks, artificial intelligence (AI), and a fully sovereign cloud platform as it looks to power smart factories, connected vehicles, and critical digital infrastructure for India Inc.

The telecom major said it is working closely with manufacturing companies to deploy private 5G networks that enable real-time monitoring, automation, and advanced robotics across factory floors.

“Fixed Wireless Access helps expand broadband quickly, but that’s just the start. Private 5G networks unlock critical use cases such as ambulance telemedicine, first-responder communications, and autonomous mobility,” said Sharat Sinha, CEO of Airtel Business, in an interaction with Moneycontrol.

“For instance, doctors can remotely monitor patients inside an ambulance en route to a hospital using a secure private 5G link, saving crucial time in emergencies. That’s the transformative power of 5G for healthcare, education, and public safety.”

Building a sovereign digital foundation

Sinha said the company sees strong momentum in India’s cloud and data centre ecosystem, which has become a cornerstone of the country’s digital infrastructure. Airtel launched Airtel Cloud, its sovereign cloud offering, in August this year to take on global hyperscalers such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, and Google.

“Airtel Cloud has received a tremendous response. We already manage over 250 petabytes of data across more than 10,000 servers. It’s an AI-ready, fully sovereign cloud — both the data and control planes are hosted entirely within India,” Sinha said.

According to him, the platform helps enterprises cut total cost of ownership by 20–40% while ensuring carrier-grade reliability, scalability, and security. It caters to both government and enterprise customers, supporting regulated sectors such as manufacturing, BFSI, and public services.

“What differentiates us is complete data and control-plane sovereignty. Even if international connectivity is disrupted, Airtel Cloud continues to function fully within India,” he added. “This not only strengthens business continuity but also ensures compliance with local regulations. Plus, it runs on our Nxtra data centres and Airtel’s extensive connectivity backbone, giving customers end-to-end capability.”

AI-driven operations and 5G synergies

Beyond connectivity, Airtel is embedding AI-based analytics into its enterprise solutions to help clients optimise operations, improve energy efficiency, and predict equipment failures before they occur.

“AI is no longer an add-on; it’s central to digital transformation,” Sinha said. “Our cloud-native architecture enables AI models to run seamlessly across edge and core networks.”

The company has already onboarded several large enterprises for pilot deployments and is collaborating with technology partners to build industry-specific solutions. Sectors such as automotive, healthcare, logistics, and utilities are experiencing strong demand for private 5G networks, complemented by AI-driven insights.

Sinha believes India’s digital infrastructure growth directly correlates with economic expansion. “Every 10% increase in broadband penetration leads to measurable GDP growth and the same logic now applies to data infrastructure,” he noted.

With enterprises accelerating digitisation and data volumes surging, Airtel aims to position itself as a one-stop technology enabler across connectivity, cloud, and intelligence. “Our goal is to be the digital backbone for India’s next decade of growth,” Sinha said.