iWorld
Airtel Business to power 20 mn smart meters for Adani Energy Solutions
Mumbai: Airtel Business – the B2B arm of Bharti Airtel, one of India’s leading telecommunications service providers – has announced that it will power over 20 million smart meters for Adani Energy Solutions Ltd (AESL).
Airtel, through its robust nationwide communications network will deliver reliable and secure connectivity for all AESL’s smart meter deployments. In addition, Airtel’s transformative smart metering solutions that are powered by NB-IoT, 4G and 2G, will help AESL to ensure real-time connectivity and uninterrupted transfer of critical data between smart meters and headend applications. The solution will also come powered with Airtel’s IoT platform – ‘Airtel IoT Hub,’ which enables smart meter tracking and monitoring with advanced analytics and diagnostic capabilities in addition to real-time insights and services that empower customers with enhanced control over their energy consumption. Adani Energy Solutions has an order book of over 20 million smart meters from the power utilities of Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand.
Airtel Business (India) CEO Ganesh Lakshminarayanan said, “India’s smart metering programme is one of the most significant policy reform measures undertaken by the Government. These meters are critical building blocks for smart grids and fundamental enablers for the digitalization of the power sector. Airtel expects its NB-IoT technology to play a significant role in the Utilities space to connect and manage smart meters at scale with enhanced coverage, high reliability and security. We look forward to a long and fruitful association with the Adani Group, supporting them in their endeavours to digitize utilities”.
Adani Energy Solutions Ltd CEO Kandarp Patel said, “India’s ambitious Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) is transforming the way we deliver power, and AESL is proud to be at the forefront of this revolution. Our partnership with Airtel marks a critical step towards realising the vision of a smarter, more efficient grid for all. This strategic tie-up leverages the best of both worlds: our deep domain expertise in the T&D sector and Airtel’s robust nationwide network and comprehensive suite of IoT offerings, including NB-IoT and 4G LTE. This powerful combination will enable us to seamlessly deploy our current order book of over 20 million smart meters across India, empowering millions of consumers with real-time consumption data and control, while simultaneously driving down inefficiencies in the distribution network”.
iWorld
Telcos push for unified rules as spam shifts to OTT platforms
Over 80 per cent fraud moves online, operators seek common framework.
MUMBAI: The spam may have left your phone network but it hasn’t left you alone. India’s telecom operators are once again dialling up the pressure for a unified regulatory framework, warning that fraud is rapidly migrating to internet-based platforms where oversight remains far looser. According to industry communication, a leading operator has written to multiple arms of the government including the Department of Telecommunications, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance arguing that tighter controls on traditional telecom networks are inadvertently pushing bad actors towards over-the-top (OTT) communication platforms.
The concern is not new, but the framing has sharpened. What was once an industry grievance is now being positioned as a consumer protection issue. Operators say that tackling spam in silos no longer works, as fraudsters seamlessly shift across platforms, exploiting regulatory gaps. The result: a moving target that traditional safeguards struggle to contain.
Executives point to a clear shift in fraud patterns. OTT platforms are increasingly being used for phishing links, impersonation scams and bulk unsolicited messaging, with industry estimates suggesting that over 80 per cent of spam activity has now migrated online. In this environment, the lines between telecom networks, messaging apps and financial fraud are blurring fast.
At the heart of the industry’s demand is a call for a technology-neutral regulatory framework, one that applies consistently across telecom and internet-based communication services. Operators argue that the absence of uniform safeguards, such as sender verification systems, robust spam filters and clearly defined accountability mechanisms, has created enforcement blind spots that fraudsters are quick to exploit.
The proposal is straightforward but far-reaching. Telcos are pushing for baseline anti-fraud measures across all communication platforms, alongside faster response systems and deeper coordination between ministries. Given the interconnected nature of telecom networks, digital platforms and financial systems, they argue that fragmented oversight only weakens the overall defence.
The broader issue is regulatory arbitrage, the ability of bad actors to hop between platforms based on which is least regulated at any given time. Without harmonised rules, operators say, efforts to curb fraud risk becoming a game of whack-a-mole.
As digital communication continues to expand, the debate is shifting from who regulates what to how consistently it is regulated. For now, telecom operators are making their case clear: in a world where spam travels freely, regulation cannot afford to stay fragmented.
