Biggest synergy with Airtel is its 250 mn user base, says payments bank CEO

Interview with Shashi Arora

Capitalising fully on the infrastructure of the country’s largest telecom player Airtel, its payments bank, which has gone live, is banking on the 250 million strong prepaid customer base to become a formidable player. Shashi Arora, managing director and chief executive officer of Airtel Payments Bank, tells Karan Choudhury by the end of 2017 the bank will bring 5 million merchants on the platform.

What is the roadmap for the payments bank? Do you have a first-mover advantage?

Yes, we have the first-mover advantage because we are the first to hit the ground. The roadmap is clear, we have over