CHENNAI: Telecom major Bharti Airtel on Wednesday announced a full rejig of its company structure in a move to sharpen the telco’s focus on its digital business. According to the firm, the plan involves Airtel Digital Limited being folded into the listed Bharti Airtel Ltd so far, the vehicle for the group’s communications business.
Now, however, Bharti Airtel will house all of the group's digital assets, including Wynk Music, Airtel Xstream, Airtel Thanks, the Mitra Payments platform, Airtel Ads, Airtel IQ, Airtel Secure, Airtel Cloud and all future digital products and services.
Even as the digital businesses get integrated with Bharti Airtel, the telecom business will be separated and housed in a newly created wholly-owned subsidiary Airtel Limited. Bharti Telemedia, the 100 per cent arm operating DTH services, will sit alongside Airtel Limited for now.
"It is intended to eventually fold the DTH business into Airtel Limited to move towards the NDCP vision of converged services to customers," the company statement observed.
The company is already seeking clarity from the government on licensing policy since telecom and DTH are both regulated sectors overseen by two separate ministries that of Communications, and Information and Broadcasting, respectively.
Meanwhile, Airtel Payments Bank will remain a separate entity under Bharti Airtel and "work closely" with the growing customer base to play a pivotal role in realising the vast digital opportunity.