Airtel slows hiring, expands contract workforce in FY26

Bharti Airtel slowed hiring in FY26 even as it expanded its contractual workforce. While its overall headcount declined only marginally, the telecom operator saw sharp declines in both fresh recruitment and internal appointments.

According to the company’s FY26 annual report, Airtel’s on-roll workforce stood at 20,116 at the end of March 2026, down 194 employees, or 0.96%, from 20,310 a year earlier. The number of contractual employees rose 8.38% to 80,123 from 73,929, an increase of more than 6,000 employees.