 "Airtel MD urges users to shift to its Payments Bank amid cyber fraud surge")
Amid a rising number of frauds, Airtel Vice-Chairman and Managing Director (MD) Gopal Vittal has recommended users to use Airtel Payments Bank to make online payments instead of their main bank accounts.
In a letter sent to Airtel users, Vittal stated that cybercriminals continue to find ways around security barriers by using methods such as fake parcel delivery notifications, fraudulent reward links and threats of digital arrest, reported Moneycontrol.
He further said these scams are effective because many people use their main bank account for all digital payments, which puts their savings in jeopardy. "A small mistake can therefore put your entire savings at risk," he said.
To avoid significant losses from such fraud, Vittal recommended that customers use Airtel Payments Bank for online transactions. He said the users can keep small amounts in this account for routine payments so that, in the event of a scam, their entire savings are not exposed.
“Our model in the bank is simple. It is primarily for payments. That is why we want you to put a very small amount of money into this bank. After all, unlike other banks, we do not lend, so we don't need a large balance from you,” Vittal said, as quoted by The Economic Times.
“Even this small balance earns interest. So exposing only Airtel Payments Bank for all your digital payments simply means that even if you make a mistake, you do not lose your hard-earned money,” he added.
According to the government data, cybersecurity incidents in India rose from 1.3 million in 2022 to 2.27 million in 2024. "At the same time, the financial toll is becoming more pronounced, with cyber frauds amounting to ₹3.6 million reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP) as of February 28, 2025," the PIB press release said.
In September 2025, Airtel also said that its anti-fraud initiatives have led to a decline of 68.7 per cent in the value of financial losses and a 14.3 per cent drop in overall cybercrime incidents on the Airtel network. Vittal said that in the past year, the company's AI-powered network solutions have identified over 48.3 billion spam calls and blocked around 320,000 fraudulent links.
Airtel Payments Bank Q2 performance
Airtel Payments Bank reported a profit of ₹11.8 crore for the second quarter of the financial year 2025-26, a marginal increase compared to the same period last year.
The bank posted revenue of ₹804 crore in Q2 FY26, a year-on-year rise of 19.4 per cent, which it said reflects “strong growth momentum”.
It added that its annualised Gross Merchandise Value touched ₹4,56,000 crore, driven by rising use of its Safe Second Account, merchant services and other offerings.