Indian operator Bharti Airtel and its subsidiary Bharti Hexacom agreed to acquire spectrum from Adani Data Networks, as the telecoms giant continues to bolster its 5G capabilities across the country.
In a statement, Airtel confirmed it had entered into definitive agreements with the Adani Enterprises subsidiary to purchase rights to use 400MHz of high-frequency spectrum in the 26GHz band across six areas of the country. In Gujarat and Mumbai, it will hold 100MHz each and 50MHz each in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
Neither company disclosed financial details of the transaction and noted the deal is subject to statutory approvals and conditions outlined in India’s spectrum trading guidelines.
The acquisition aligns with Airtel’s ambitions to expand its 5G customer base. The operator had around 120 million 5G users at the end of 2024, according to figures from the country’s Ministry of Communications, accounting for nearly 29 per cent of its total 414 million user base.
The deal also marks a notable shift for Adani Data Networks’ parent group, which was rumoured to be scaling back its telecom ambitions last month. The conglomerate was reportedly mulling an exit from offering 5G services after struggling to define a clear rollout plan, having originally acquired spectrum in 2022.
While Adani Group did not actually launch mobile services, the latest move indicates the company’s focus is returning to its core infrastructure roots.