Bharti Airtel and its subsidiary Bharti Hexacom have entered into definitive agreements to acquire rights to use 400 MHz of spectrum in the 26 GHz band from Adani Data Networks Limited (ADNL), a subsidiary of Adani Enterprises. The acquisition, announced on April 22, 2025, is set to bolster Airtel’s high-capacity 5G rollout across key Indian markets.
The spectrum allocation is strategically spread across six major telecom circles — Gujarat (100 MHz), Mumbai (100 MHz), Andhra Pradesh (50 MHz), Rajasthan (50 MHz), Karnataka (50 MHz), and Tamil Nadu (50 MHz). The transaction is subject to standard closing conditions including those stated in the Spectrum Trading Guidelines and applicable statutory approvals.
This move signals Airtel’s commitment to expanding its 5G footprint using the mmWave band, which is known for delivering ultra-high speeds and low latency — essential for use cases such as enterprise solutions, fixed wireless access, and ultra-HD streaming.
Airtel continues to be a dominant player in India’s telecom space, with a presence in 15 countries and a customer base exceeding 550 million across India and Africa. The acquisition from Adani Data Networks marks a rare collaboration between two of India’s largest corporate entities in the telecom sector.
This acquisition is also expected to help Airtel further scale its enterprise services such as cloud computing, secure connectivity, and IoT, particularly in high-demand markets.
