Bharti Airtel has come under separate regulatory scrutiny from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), resulting in a combined financial impact of nearly Rs.43.8 lakh, according to a regulatory filing made by the telecom operator.

The company disclosed that the Andhra Pradesh Licensed Service Area (LSA) unit of the DoT has imposed a penalty of Rs.6.67 lakh following an audit of Customer Application Forms (CAFs) conducted for March 2026. The action relates to alleged violations of subscriber verification requirements under Airtel’s licence conditions.

Telecom service providers are required to follow prescribed customer verification norms before activating mobile connections and must comply with DoT guidelines concerning subscriber enrolment, documentation and identity verification. According to the filing, the department identified lapses during the audit process and subsequently imposed the penalty.

Airtel stated that it does not intend to challenge the DoT order and will pay the amount levied by the department. The company further clarified that its financial exposure in this matter is limited to the penalty amount imposed.

In a separate development, Airtel also received a financial disincentive order from TRAI amounting to Rs.37.12 lakh. The regulator cited alleged shortcomings in the company’s handling of customer complaints under the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations (TCCCPR), 2018, for the quarter ended September 2024.

The regulations are aimed at protecting consumers from unsolicited commercial communications and require telecom operators to maintain robust systems for complaint management, monitoring and resolution. TRAI’s action indicates that the regulator found deficiencies in Airtel’s compliance with these obligations during the review period.

Unlike its response to the DoT penalty, Airtel has contested TRAI’s findings. The company said it disagrees with the conclusions reached by the regulator and plans to pursue appropriate legal and regulatory remedies seeking rectification or reversal of the order.

Airtel noted that even in the event of an adverse outcome, the financial impact would be restricted to the amount of the disincentive imposed by TRAI.

According to the filing, the company received the DoT communication on June 9 at 10:34 a.m. IST, followed by the TRAI order later the same day at 12:42 p.m. IST.

While the combined financial impact of approximately Rs.43.8 lakh is relatively modest for one of India’s largest telecom operators, the developments highlight the continued regulatory focus on subscriber verification practices and consumer complaint management across the telecom sector.

The actions also come at a time when telecom operators are facing increasing scrutiny from regulators regarding customer protection measures, compliance standards and service quality obligations in an increasingly competitive market.