iWorld
100% more Airtel data offered in b’band plans
MUMBAI: Following its rollout of ‘V-Fiber’ superfast broadband to serve the exploding demand for reliable high speed data solutions in Indian homes, now introduces larger bundles of data at existing prices to enable customers to do more New proposition designed to drive adoption of high speed broadband in the country and accelerate the journey towards digitally connected homes
Bharti Airtel, India’s largest telecommunications services provider, has announced refreshed home broadband proposition to serve the exploding demand for high speed data in today’s digital homes and drive the adoption of superfast broadband in the country. The new plans now offer up to 100% more high speed data benefits within the same monthly rentals.
In-home high speed data consumption in India is increasing exponentially with customers looking to stream HD/4K content, download heavy file across a variety of connected devices like smartphones, tablets, Smart TVs, Internet TV solutions and security solutions etc. Fixed broadband (Wi-Fi) continues to be the preferred mode of high speed data delivery given its consistent speeds and in the near future will also enable the IoT play for homes with connected appliances and much more.
To serve this growing demand and enable a seamless high speed data experience in a multi-device environment, Airtel has built a future ready network and introduced ‘V-Fiber’ that delivers consistently superfast broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps to homes. The ‘V-Fiber’ high speed broadband experience is available to customers within the same plan rentals and requires only a quick modem switch.
Airtel’s refreshed broadband plans are designed to unlock the ‘V-Fiber’ superfast broadband experience with generous bundles of high speed data within existing plan rentals that enable Indian homes to get on to the digital super highway.
For instance, the Rs. 599 plan in Mumbai now offers 20 GB high speed data compared to 8 GB earlier, while the Rs. 699 plan will now offer 30 GB of high speed data compared to 15 GB earlier. The Rs. 999 plan now offers 60 GB compared to 30 GB and the Rs. 2599 plan offers 400 GB compared to 200 GB. Similar large increments in data benefits have been effected at every price point in every city with unlimited calling to any network available across all plans.
Hemanth Kumar Guruswamy, CEO – Homes, Bharti Airtel (India) said, “Our new plans are aimed at putting India onto the digital superhighway and complement our superfast broadband offerings like ‘V-Fiber’. At Airtel, our mission is to enable a superior digital experience and offer great value to our customers. Our customers can now add to their online experience with exciting speeds backed by unmatched service reliability. We believe these new plans will also drive the adoption of high speed broadband in the country.”
Existing customers will be upgraded to the new benefits automatically within the current bill cycle while new customers can choose from a host of plans that offer great value backed by best-in-class high speed broadband experience.
The upgraded plans are yet another addition to Airtel’s initiatives to innovate products that offer great value to customers. Recently, the company rolled out Airtel Surprises and myHome Rewards that offered free additional data benefits to customers.
e-commerce
Google rolls out new AI shopping tools for Indian users
Gemini, AI Mode in Search, and Circle to Search get smarter upgrades to simplify online buying.
MUMBAI: Google is making online shopping in India a lot less “add to cart” and a lot more “ask and discover”. The tech giant has announced a fresh set of artificial intelligence-powered updates designed to make finding and buying products more intuitive and efficient. By integrating its Gemini models with the Shopping Graph, a massive dataset of over 50 billion product listings that sees nearly 2 billion updates every hour, Google is bringing smarter, more conversational shopping experiences across its platforms.
Users can now move seamlessly from idea generation to product discovery within the Gemini app. Whether planning a festive outfit or building a gift list, shoppers can receive product listings, comparison tables, pricing from across the web, and direct purchase links, all through natural conversation. The feature is currently available in English and Hindi.
Google has upgraded its AI Mode in Search, turning it into a more natural shopping assistant. Instead of relying on traditional filters and keywords, users can ask questions in plain language and receive structured responses with visuals, pricing, reviews, and inventory details. Comparison tables highlighting key differences are also included. While currently available in English, a Hindi version is expected soon.
The popular Circle to Search feature has been enhanced on devices such as the Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 series. Users can now identify and explore multiple objects in a single image at once. In fashion-related queries, the tool can break down entire outfits and suggest similar products, making style replication or discovery much easier.
Google stated that these updates build on last year’s successful rollout of the Virtual Try-On tool in India, which helped users visualise apparel before purchase.
In a market where shopping decisions often happen in seconds, Google is betting that smarter AI will turn casual browsing into confident buying. From festive shopping lists to spotting the perfect outfit in a photo, these new tools aim to make every scroll feel a little more rewarding and a lot less overwhelming.
