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Singtel Sells $1.16 Billion Stake in Bharti Airtel to Fund Digital Investments

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Singapore Telecommunications (Singtel) has sold a 0.8% stake worth about $1.16 billion in India’s Bharti Airtel, as part of its ongoing plan to recycle assets and boost investments in digital infrastructure, the company announced on Friday.

Singtel’s investment arm Pastel sold 51 million shares of Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, at 2,030 rupees ($23.10) per share — about 3.1% below the stock’s previous close. The transaction was executed through a private placement to institutional investors.

The sale is part of Singtel’s S$9 billion (US$6.6 billion) mid-term asset recycling program, which aims to raise funds for expansion in digital services, data centers, and next-generation connectivity.

Following the divestment, Singtel now holds a 27.5% stake in Bharti Airtel, down from 31.4% in 2022, continuing a gradual reduction of its holdings since first investing in the Indian company in 2000.

Singtel said the sale will generate an estimated S$1.1 billion ($805 million) in gains, benefiting from Bharti Airtel’s surging valuation — its shares have quadrupled since 2019, driven by stronger earnings and rising average revenue per user.

Investors reacted positively to the move, sending Singtel’s shares up about 3% to S$4.65 by midday trading in Singapore. Bharti Airtel shares, however, fell around 4.5% in Mumbai, with more than 55 million shares changing hands via block deals, according to LSEG data.

The deal underscores Singtel’s strategy to strengthen its balance sheet while maintaining a long-term presence in one of the world’s fastest-growing telecom markets.

Bharti Airtel partners with IBM to boost cloud services amid India’s AI boom

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Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, has announced a new partnership with IBM to expand its cloud service offerings through the recently launched Airtel Cloud platform, the companies said on Wednesday.

The collaboration will allow Airtel Cloud customers to deploy IBM’s AI-ready servers and enterprise cloud tools, targeting regulated sectors such as banking, healthcare, and government. The move comes amid surging demand for computing capacity in India, driven by the country’s rapid adoption of artificial intelligence technologies and localized data storage requirements.

The announcement follows Google’s $15 billion investment to build an AI data center in Andhra Pradesh, a project in which Airtel is also a partner. The facility, to be established in Visakhapatnam, underscores India’s growing importance as a digital infrastructure hub.

Airtel’s digital arm, Xtelify, launched Airtel Cloud in August, positioning it as a key player in India’s expanding cloud ecosystem. As part of the new partnership, Airtel and IBM will establish two Multizone Regions (MZRs) in Mumbai and Chennai, which will distribute cloud infrastructure across multiple zones to ensure data security and uninterrupted operations in case of system failures.

“These Multizone Regions will help Indian businesses meet data residency rules while ensuring their critical workloads remain secure and continuously available,” said Gopal Vittal, vice chairman and managing director of Bharti Airtel.

The partnership is part of Airtel’s broader strategy to integrate global cloud expertise with its extensive network infrastructure to serve India’s fast-growing digital economy.

Starlink Secures Indian License to Launch Satellite Services Amid Regulatory Hurdles

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Elon Musk’s Starlink has obtained a license from India’s telecom ministry to commence commercial satellite communications operations in the country, according to two sources speaking to Reuters. The approval marks a key milestone for Starlink, which has been pursuing entry into the Indian market since 2022.

Starlink becomes the third company to receive such a license from India’s Department of Telecommunications, joining Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio. While the telecom ministry and Starlink have not publicly commented on the development, sources indicate that Starlink still faces several regulatory steps before it can begin offering services.

The satellite operator must now secure a separate license from India’s space regulator, which it is reportedly close to obtaining. Beyond that, Starlink will need to acquire spectrum rights from the government, build local ground infrastructure, and conduct testing to meet stringent security requirements. The full process is expected to take several more months.

Musk previously met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during Modi’s U.S. visit in February, where Starlink’s entry plans and India’s security concerns were discussed.

The licensing breakthrough arrives at a sensitive time for Musk. His feud with U.S. President Donald Trump over government contracts has put approximately $22 billion of SpaceX’s U.S. government work at risk, making Starlink’s international expansion even more crucial.

In a surprising twist earlier this year, Indian telecom giants Jio and Bharti Airtel announced they would stock Starlink equipment in their stores, despite directly competing in broadband services. Notably, Musk and Jio’s Mukesh Ambani had clashed for months over how satellite spectrum should be allocated in India. Ultimately, the Indian government sided with Musk’s preference for assigned rather than auctioned spectrum.

India’s telecom regulator has proposed a 4% annual revenue share fee for satellite providers, which some domestic firms argue is too low and could harm their businesses. Nevertheless, the Indian satellite broadband market is projected to reach $1.9 billion by 2030, according to Deloitte, attracting global competitors like Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper, which is still awaiting licensing approval.