COVID puts financial stress but expect recovery soon; lost 13 colleagues: Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal

New Delhi: Bharti Airtel is experiencing financial pressures in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but expects the recovery to start soon, a top company official said on Tuesday. Bharti Airtel MD and CEO for India and South Asia Gopal Vittal said he has also lost 13 colleagues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are seeing some impact of the second wave of COVID. The impact is both psychological and emotional, which is related to fear and insecurity among customers.

“The second impact is financial pressures as migrants go back to the villages where incomes and livelihood have been destroyed. Some of them are consolidating their SIMs, using one SIM between their family,” Vittal said during the company’s earnings call.