Bharti Airtel partners Bajaj Finance to offer financial services to its subscribers

Bharti Airtel on Monday entered into a strategic partnership with Bajaj Finance to offer the private-sector non-banking financial company’s (NBFC) offerings and services to its telecom subscriber base of 370 million.

“Bharti Airtel and Bajaj Finance today announced a strategic partnership to create one of India’s largest digital platforms for financial services and transform last mile delivery,” the country’s second-largest telco said a media statement.

The partnership combined Airtel’s customer base and a 12 lakh-plus distribution network with Bajaj Finance’s diversified suite of 27 product lines, and distribution network of more than 5,000 branches and 70,000 field agents.

As per the statement, Airtel will initially offer Bajaj Finance’s retail financial products on its Airtel Thanks App for seamless and secure customer experience, and later through its nation-wide network of stores.

So far, two products of Bajaj Finance have been piloted on the Airtel Thanks App. By March 2025, four products of Bajaj Finance will be available to customers on the Airtel Thanks App. These include Gold Loan, Business Loan, a co-branded Insta EMI Card and Personal Loan.

Airtel will eventually offer close to 10 financial products of Bajaj Finance within this calendar year.

Airtel customers can apply for the Airtel-Bajaj Finserv Insta EMI card via the Airtel Thanks App and later through its nation-wide network of stores.

The Airtel-Bajaj Finserv EMI card provides access to various offers available to Bajaj Finance customers. Users will benefit from flexible EMI options and payment plans for purchasing various goods, including electronics, furniture and groceries at over 1.5 lakh partner stores across more than 4,000 cities. Additionally, the co-branded card is applicable for e-commerce transactions on multiple platforms.

With the partnership, the companies aim to significantly deepen the penetration of financial products and services in the country, the statement added.

“Airtel and Bajaj Finance, two trusted names in this country, have the shared vision of empowering millions of Indians with a diverse portfolio of financial needs. The combined reach, scale and distribution strength of the two companies will serve as the cornerstone of this partnership and help us succeed in the marketplace,” said Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman and MD, Bharti Airtel.

Vittal added that Airtel is building Airtel Finance as a strategic asset for the group, and will continue to invest in and grow the business. “Today, we are trusted by over 1 million customers and our vision is to make Airtel Finance a one-stop shop for all the financial needs of our customers,” he said.

“Together with Airtel, we seek to be the financier of choice to India and enable millions to access financial services, even in remote areas. We are excited to join hands with Airtel at a time when Bajaj Finance is harnessing the power of AI to enhance efficiencies and elevate customer experiences,” said Rajeev Jain, Managing Director, Bajaj Finance.