Airtel and IBM Partner to deliver AI-optimized hybrid cloud in India

Airtel, one of the leading telecom operators in India has entered into a strategic partnership with IBM to enhance its recently launched Airtel Cloud platform. The collaboration aims to deliver AI-ready, secure, and scalable cloud solutions tailored for enterprises in regulated industries such as banking, healthcare, and government.

The partnership will integrate IBM’s advanced infrastructure and software technologies, including the latest IBM Power11 autonomous servers, into Airtel Cloud. These AI-ready systems will be offered as-a-Service, enabling businesses to run mission-critical applications with high reliability and compliance. Airtel Cloud customers will also gain access to IBM’s hybrid platform supporting IBM Power AIX, IBM i, Linux, and SAP Cloud ERP, helping SAP clients transition seamlessly to cloud-based enterprise resource planning.

AI inferencing across hybrid environments

IBM’s AI software stack, built on IBM watsonx and Red Hat OpenShift AI, will allow Indian enterprises to run AI inference across on-premise, cloud, multi-cloud, and edge environments. The platform also includes IBM’s automation tools and Red Hat’s hybrid cloud solutions, such as OpenShift Virtualisation and Red Hat AI, designed to accelerate the impact of generative AI in core workflows.

Expanding Airtel’s cloud footprint

As part of the partnership, Airtel will expand its availability zones in India from four to ten, hosted on its next-gen sustainable data centers.

The company also plans to establish two new Multizone Regions (MZRs) in Mumbai and Chennai, enhancing resilience and data residency for Indian enterprises.“With the IBM partnership, we are adding substantial capabilities to our Cloud platform to address the unique needs of several industries,” said Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Bharti Airtel. “This marks a new benchmark for secure, AI-ready cloud services in India.”“Together, we will help clients drive true transformation in the era of AI,” added Rob Thomas, SVP and Chief Commercial Officer, IBM.