Bharti Airtel Limited has received a penalty notice of Rs 1,11,000 from the Department of Telecommunications for alleged violation of subscriber verification norms. The company disclosed this information under Regulation 30 of SEBI Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements Regulations, 2015.

Penalty Details and Authority

The penalty was imposed by the Department of Telecommunications, Uttar Pradesh (East) LSA (DoT) for alleged violation of subscriber verification norms. The company received the notice on January 30, 2026 at 1354 hours IST.

Background and Compliance Requirements

Under the terms of its License Agreement, Bharti Airtel is required to ensure adequate verification of customers before enrolling them as subscribers and comply with instructions issued by DoT in this regard. The Department of Telecommunications conducts periodic Customer Application Form Audit (CAF Audit) to confirm compliance with licensing terms and conditions.

DoT conducted a sample CAF Audit for November 2025 and alleged violation of terms and conditions with respect to subscriber verification norms under the License Agreement. The audit process is part of DoT's regular monitoring mechanism to ensure telecom operators maintain proper subscriber verification standards.

Company's Response and Financial Impact

Bharti Airtel has decided to pay the penalty without contesting it. The company stated that the maximum financial impact is limited to the extent of the penalty levied, which amounts to Rs 1,11,000.

Regulatory Disclosure

The disclosure was made pursuant to Regulation 30 read with Clause 20 of Para A of Part A of Schedule III of SEBI Listing Regulations. Company Secretary and Compliance Officer Rohit Krishan Puri signed the disclosure document on January 31, 2026, confirming that the information provided is true, correct and complete to the best of the company's knowledge and belief.

Bharti Airtel has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Adobe to democratize access to professional design tools across India. The telecommunications giant will provide free Adobe Express Premium access to its entire customer base of 360 million users, marking the first collaboration of its kind globally in the telecom industry.

Partnership Details and Customer Benefits

The partnership offers significant value to Airtel customers through comprehensive access to Adobe's premium design platform:

The Adobe Express Premium subscription encompasses mobile, Wi-Fi and DTH customers, ensuring broad accessibility across Airtel's diverse service portfolio. Customers can activate their subscription directly through the Airtel Thanks App without any payment requirements.

Comprehensive Feature Set

Adobe Express Premium delivers professional-grade creative tools designed for users of all skill levels:

• Thousands of professional design templates, including content specifically tailored for Indian festivals, weddings, and local businesses
• AI-powered features including instant background removal, custom image generation, and one-tap video editing
• Premium Adobe Stock assets and over 30,000 professional fonts
• 100GB cloud storage with seamless device synchronization
• Advanced capabilities such as auto captions and instant resize functionality
• Watermark-free content creation

The platform supports multiple Indian languages including English, Hindi, Tamil and Bengali, enabling users to work comfortably in their preferred language.

Leadership Perspectives

Siddharth Sharma, CEO — Connected Homes and Director — Marketing at Bharti Airtel, emphasized the partnership's broader impact: "This partnership is about more than technology. It is about empowering millions of Indians with cutting-edge AI tools to create and innovate. From a student crafting their first resume to a small business owner designing a poster or a creator editing videos for followers, we want to empower every Airtel customer with the tools for self-expression."

David Wadhvani, President, Digital Media at Adobe, highlighted the collaboration's significance for India's creative economy: "We are excited to partner with Airtel to bring Adobe Express Premium to millions of people across India for free, accelerating the growth of India's vibrant creator economy and enabling people to easily produce standout content."

Target Applications and Use Cases

The partnership addresses diverse creative needs across multiple user segments:

The platform's AI-powered capabilities enable users to produce professional-quality content efficiently, regardless of their technical design experience or background.

Strategic Impact

This collaboration represents a significant step in democratizing professional creative tools across India's diverse population. By removing traditional barriers such as cost and technical complexity, the partnership enables millions of users to access world-class design capabilities previously available only to professional designers and agencies.

The initiative supports India's growing digital economy by providing essential tools for content creation, business promotion, and personal expression. The localized templates and multi-language support ensure cultural relevance and accessibility across different regions and communities throughout India.