Social & Relationship Capital

Inclusive governance and engagement approach is a part of our value-creation philosophy at Airtel. We continuously strive towards strengthening the relationship quotient with our stakeholders. Our leadership team takes active participation in maintaining a robust communication system with all our stakeholders.

Customers

Everything that we do is geared towards improving our service for an enhanced customer experience. Our actions are driven by our strategy to ‘win customers for life’, as we lead the change in an evolving digital landscape. During the year, we made unflagging efforts to keep our customers delighted. Some of the initiatives were:

Stepping up engagement through digital platforms

Decision Tree: We strengthened ‘care’ quotient for our customers and relationship advisors with launch of Decision Tree functionality. The ‘Decision Tree’ enabled the advisors to derive accurate resolution across our business verticals with maximum ‘3 clicks’. On the other hand, the ‘Help & Support’ section at MyAirtel app gave the customers holistic self-care solutions for their concerns.

Enhanced retail store experience: We launched more than 20 Next-Gen Stores across the country with several new digital experience zones. The ‘Create’ touchscreen table, ‘Share’ and ‘Network’ wall were set-up that brought customers closer to brand ‘Airtel’ and its knowhow.

Everest: : An advanced digital managed services tool for our corporate customers, giving them advanced network related capabilities (like comprehensive visibility, real time monitoring and auto-ticketing).

Happy Code:A digital network complaint resolution for our Homes customers (fixed-line telephone and broadband) to close their complaints, wherein they share a code (a specific SMS code) with the engineer.

Konnect App: A dedicated app for our on-field force to serve our multiple businesses enabling them to serve customer queries efficiently.

Online experience: Created one-stop solution across web and app platform for our customers across different service offerings.

e-KYC: We successfully increased the wireless activations through Aadhaar for Prepaid and Postpaid customers. In FY 2017-18, we also launched the Broadband customer activation through Aadhaar. This has significantly reduced the paper usage in our operations and enhanced the customer experience by enabling faster onboarding process

Suppliers

At Airtel, our business strategy revolves around fostering mutually beneficial relationships for a common sustainable goal and partnering with the best. We treat our partners with integrity and respect with transparency in all engagements with them. Over the years, we have significantly strengthened our collaborative relationships with the suppliers. While on-boarding and on periodic basis, our partners go through a detailed screening to adhere to compliance, regulations and standards. Airtel’s ‘Partner World’, a one stop online portal for end to end partner management enables the suppliers to share information, interact/ collaborate, and ultimately form

closer relationships with its external supply base. The Annual Confluence, a partnership event, provides opportunities for our partners to interact with the top management and align towards achieving long-term goals of Airtel. Continuous Online Surveys and Strategic Partner Satisfaction Survey with our partners help us identify areas that have scope for improvement and necessary actions.

Government

At Airtel, we ensure compliance to the rules, laws and regulations set by the regulatory bodies in the countries we operate, in letter and spirit. The management is responsible for implementation of our policies in compliant to the legislative framework. In the course of our business operations, we engage with several regulatory authorities, maintaining high governance standards with transparent and timely communication.

Aligning to the government’s vision of Digital India, we have stepped up our efforts to provide internet accessibility and drive inclusive growth of all sections of the society. We are making investments towards setting up a comprehensive infrastructure framework, partnering with government’s institutions for empowering farmers in agricultural sector with IFFCO Kisan Sanchar Limited (IKSL) initiative.

Investors

We value the relationship with our wide investor fraternity, continuously improving the relationship quotient and aligning our business goals with their expectations. A regular engagement process, driven by our investor relations team provides all the updates and information on our operations, and strategies and helps addresses any queries/ doubts.

Our business philosophies capture our socio-economic intent to create value for stakeholders. We take proactive measures to reduce our impact on both environment and our stakeholders, particularly on communities that need special attention. Our actions towards creating value for stakeholders determine our brand recall and our acceptance as a brand in the society.

Social contribution by our circle offices

To widen the reach of our social impact, the employees at our circle offices, across the country, focused on activities to create

value in the local communities of the urban landscape. Some of the initiatives undertaken by them were:

ACT (A Caring Touch)

An employee payroll giving program for Bharti Group of Companies, ACT encourages employees to make a contribution (in terms of money, time, skills or knowledge) and improve lives of the underprivileged.

Bettering societal state

Helping the Disadvantaged

We continued the scholarship and skill development program for underprivileged students of Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh. We expanded the horizons of the program by including digital literacy, adult literacy and livelihood enhancement/ vocational skills for women in the program. During the year we have trained students from various domains on employability skills helping them to become corporate ready. Over 1,300 underprivileged students and women were granted scholarship during the FY 2017-18. Under the program, we also imparted coaching to the underserved youth for competitive exams helping them get selected for central/ state government jobs. Additionally, we run selfemployed tailoring course for women empowerment program in the tribal areas of Chhindwara.

Caring for the Elderly

During the year, we have increased our contribution towards well-being and up keeping of senior citizens. Ramadham Old Age Home, Khapoli Village, Maharashtra and Anubandh, situated on the outskirts of Jodhpur, help senior citizens who are deserted by their families. We partnered and supported Anubandh and Ramadham in furtherance of their initiatives.

Protection and maintenance of site of historical importance

We, as a socially responsible company, have extended our contribution towards establishment of Partition Museum in the city of Amritsar for the purpose of commemorating the partition of India and for fostering a greater understanding of the forces and circumstances that shaped the momentous and historic event. It is the first of its kind museum in India.

Enhancement of vocational skills in hearing impaired adults

Aimed at providing high-quality leadership and management skills training program and empowering environment, the Company extended its support for vocational training program to 400 hearing impaired adults. The program and training will collectively equip them to become “Deaf Change Makers” in their communities and thrive as vibrant citizens within society.

Airtel and Magic Bus

The main area of focus of this project supported by Airtel is to empower 1,722 children (722 children in Mumbai and 1,000 children in Delhi) in the area of right to education, gender equity, awareness on health and hygiene, right to play, life skills and leadership through Magic Bus Sports based and mentorship program “Sports for Development”. The aim of the project is to bring about a positive change in the attitude and behaviour of children.

Bharti Foundation

Bharti Foundation, the leading philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, drives our approach in building positive community relations. Through its various programs, we reach out to remotest parts of India, empowering lives of people in the field of education, women empowerment and sanitation among others. The leading programs that have created a positive influence are: