Bharti Airtel on Monday said its network-level artificial intelligence (AI) cybersecurity solution has blocked 1.42 million malicious links across India and detected large volumes of spam calls and messages while adding new safeguards against OTP fraud for customers.
What Airtel reported
The company stated its AI-driven system, described as the first of its kind on a telecom network in India, has identified and stopped a substantial number of phoney links circulated via SMS and other channels. Airtel also said the technology has detected and blocked 98.4 billion spam calls and 4.4 billion spam messages over the past two years, figures it disclosed alongside product announcements.
In the same release, Airtel introduced enterprise verification features to help users distinguish genuine business calls from impersonation attempts, and rolled out new Cloud+ subscription bundles for postpaid iPhone users that pair cloud storage with Apple TV and Apple Arcade access.
Why this matters for users
AI systems working at the network layer analyse metadata and content patterns to spot likely fraud and spam before they reach subscribers. For ordinary users, that means potentially fewer phishing links and a reduced risk of One-Time Password (OTP) interception — a common vector used by fraudsters to seize bank accounts and digital wallets.
- Scale: Airtel’s figures indicate spam and fraudulent traffic remain widespread — a problem that affects digital payments and online accounts.
- OTP protection: New protections aim to curb OTP manipulation, which is frequently exploited in authentication fraud.
- Enterprise verification: Displaying verified business names can reduce call-based impersonation scams, improving trust for users dealing with banks or service providers.
Industry observers caution that network-level defences are an important layer but not a cure-all. Users must continue to follow security best practices such as not sharing OTPs, verifying links before clicking and using device-level protections.
Context: cybercrime losses and technical limits
Airtel referred to broader estimates of cyber fraud losses in India, noting total reported losses of around ₹52,976 crore over a six-year period. While network AI can block many automated and large-scale spam campaigns, targeted social engineering and sophisticated phishing often require complementary measures — such as bank and app-level fraud detection, user education and regulatory action.
| Metric | Reported figure | Indian-unit equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| Malicious links blocked | 1.42 million | 14.2 lakh |
| Spam calls blocked (two years) | 98.4 billion | 9,840 crore |
| Spam messages blocked (two years) | 4.4 billion | 440 crore |
Telecom operators and regulators have been under pressure to curb nuisance traffic and fraud. Network-based AI can identify patterns such as high-volume origin points, repeated message templates and malicious URLs, but it depends on continual tuning to avoid false positives that could block legitimate communications.
For consumers, Airtel’s Cloud+ bundles for postpaid iPhone users combine cloud storage with entertainment services, reflecting a trend among telcos to bundle digital content and storage with connectivity. The company positioned these packages as part of a broader push to add value for postpaid subscribers while reinforcing security features for device users.
Ultimately, the effectiveness of such measures will be judged by how much they reduce successful fraud and improve user confidence in digital services. Network AI is a meaningful step, but cyber resilience requires layered defences across devices, apps, banks and the wider digital ecosystem.
