Bharti Airtel has officially launched a major expansion into India’s financial services sector, marking a strategic pivot toward high-margin digital lending. On February 13, 2026, the Reserve Bank of India granted an NBFC license to the company’s subsidiary, Airtel Money. This clears the path for a massive ₹20,000 crore capital infusion over the next few years. Airtel will hold a 70% stake in the new venture, with the promoter group, Bharti Enterprises, providing the remaining 30%. The company is not starting from scratch; it has already disbursed over ₹9,000 crore through its existing digital lending platform. By leveraging a team of 500 data scientists and a massive telecom subscriber base, the NBFC aims to bridge India's credit gap, where the formal credit-to-GDP ratio remains at just 53%. The core telecom business continues to show resilience. In the quarter ended December 2025, consolidated revenue reached ₹53,982 crore, a 19.6% increase year-on-year. While net profit moderated to ₹8,503 crore due to exceptional items and rising costs, the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) climbed to ₹245. This financial strength is fueling a heavy capital expenditure cycle focused on two main pillars beyond mobile services. The first pillar is the "Nxtra" data center business. Airtel is targeting a massive 1 GW capacity within the next 3 to 4 years. This expansion is timed to benefit from a newly announced 20-year tax holiday for data centers in India. The second pillar is home broadband, which witnessed its highest-ever quarterly net additions of 2 million subscribers recently. The company now services over 13 million homes through its fiber and 5G Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) networks. Investors are rewarding this diversification. The stock has outperformed its peers with a 29% growth rate over the past four years, recently trading near the ₹1,940–₹2,000 range. With a market capitalization exceeding ₹11 trillion, the company maintains a healthy dividend payout ratio of approximately 38%. The strategy reflects a shift from a "minute factory" to a "money factory." By integrating credit products directly into the daily digital habits of its 577 million global customers, Airtel is building a defense against traditional lenders and new competitors like Jio Financial Services. While execution risks exist in the lending space, the company’s robust free cash flows and strengthened balance sheet provide a significant cushion for this ambitious growth phase.