Airtel Secure Digital Internet is India’s first fully managed, Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) based cyber protection solution
Gurugram (India), October 14, 2024 – Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Bharti Airtel ("Airtel"), one of India’s leading telecommunications service provider has partnered with Zscaler, a global cloud security leader, to launch ‘Airtel Secure Digital Internet ’- India’s first, fully-managed Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) based solution designed to protect enterprises from a wide range of cyber threats.
Strengthening enterprise cybersecurity, ‘Airtel Secure Digital Internet’ is a fully-managed solution that integrates Airtel’s Internet Leased Line (ILL) connectivity with Zscaler’s cloud security technology & Security Service Edge (SSE) technology as well as Zscaler Internet AccessTM (ZIATM) to provide advanced security features such as comprehensive threat protection, SSL inspection, cloud firewall and secure access to cloud applications. Built on the core principle of ‘never trust, always verify the User, Device and Network’ - ‘Airtel Secure Digital Internet’ will enable enterprises in India to navigate the complexities of the digital world by leveraging its unique capabilities in an effective, scalable and cost-efficient manner.
Sharat Sinha, CEO – Airtel Business said, “We are excited to partner with Zscaler to launch ‘Airtel Secure Digital Internet’ - a holistic solution for safeguarding enterprise networks. The cutting-edge solution will ensure that every internet interaction is rigorously verified, authenticated and authorized to deliver a robust layer of security that protects enterprises from evolving cyber threats. Together with Zscaler, we will offer a seamless and secure experience for businesses across India, enabling them to operate with confidence in today’s complex digital environment”.
Anant Nag, Area Vice President, India & SAARC, Zscaler, added "We are thrilled to expand our partnership with Airtel Business to create a solution to help the growing needs of our customer base. Cybersecurity is a critical business priority and enterprises across the market are doubling down on implementing zero trust solutions to keep their organization secured. The inception of this joint solution stemmed from the market needs and growing demand and we are looking forward to helping our customers in their cloud security transformation journeys together with Airtel.”
India is at the forefront of technology innovation and adoption with enterprises, small and large, leading the way on a global scale. However, this exponential growth has also caught the attention of threat actors who are increasingly targeting local entities to launch attacks. For instance, according to Zscaler ThreatLabz, in the past year alone, Indian enterprises have seen over 79 million phishing attacks and more than 5 billion encrypted attacks, making India among the top three most-targeted markets globally. Now, more than ever before, it is important for organisations in India to strengthen their cybersecurity while managing multi-vendor security stacks, budget constraints, skill gaps and time-to-market issues.The zero trust architecture of ‘Airtel Secure Digital Internet’ reduces attack surfaces while simplifying security management by centralising policy enforcement. Its inherent cloud-native security ensures consistent protection for users across all locations. The scalable, cloud-based platform also eliminates the need for costly hardware, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing total cost of ownership.
To further optimise its network performance and minimise latency, Airtel has also strategically enhanced its Internet Points of Presence (PoPs) through the integration of Zscaler's advanced security stack. As a distinguished Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) partner of Zscaler, Airtel is equipped to deliver comprehensive managed services, encompassing the entire security lifecycle—from initial deployment to continuous, premium-grade support. Enterprises can now leverage Airtel's extensive, pan-India Internet Leased Line (ILL) connectivity to achieve secure, consistent connectivity across all their office locations. Enterprises also have the flexibility to procure Zscaler SSE as a standalone solution, bundled with Airtel's managed services that can be further tailored for their unique requirements.
About Bharti Airtel
Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 550 million customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high speed 4G/5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud based communication. For more details visit www.airtel.com
About Zscaler
Zscaler accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange™ platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across more than 150 data centers globally, the SSE-based Zero Trust Exchange™ is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based on our management's beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to our management. These forward-looking statements include the expected benefits to customers from the Zscaler and Airtel partnership. These forward-looking statements are subject to the safe harbor provisions created by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. A significant number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including those factors related to our ability to successfully integrate technologies. Additional risks and uncertainties are set forth in Zscaler’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on September 12, 2024, which is available on our website at ir.zscaler.com and on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Any forward-looking statements in this release are based on the limited information currently available to Zscaler as of the date hereof, which is subject to change, and Zscaler will not necessarily update the information, even if new information becomes available in the future.