Airtel Lanka Archives

August 2, 2023

Colombo, 01st August 2023 – In the wake of ongoing economic hardship faced by Sri Lankan consumers, the island’s most preferred telco among youth, Airtel Lanka, issued a statement reiterating its commitment to stand by its customers in difficult times, and hold to its promise of delivering maximum value for nation’s fast-growing base of mobile users.
“From the time we first commenced operations in Sri Lanka more than a decade ago, Airtel Lanka has been driven by a single mission: to deliver a world class network experience, while ensuring we deliver maximum value and superior customer service. Especially in the past three years, we have steadily delivered on this promise, as evidenced by the roll-out of a complete suite industry-first innovations of pre and post-paid packages that have helped shift the entire market towards offering users the best possible deal.
“We stand firm in our commitment to our customers, and in supporting them through this period of challenges in the Sri Lankan economy. Our aim is to continue easing their burden and ensure that affordability never becomes an obstacle for our customers who rely on our world-class network to stay connected with their studies, work, friends, and family” Airtel Lanka CEO, Ashish Chandra said.
Over the past year, Airtel has enjoyed the strongest growth in the Sri Lankan telco sector, has more users flocked to their pioneering pre and post-paid offers, as evidenced by over 1.1 million users that switched over to Airtel Freedom packs
Among the most recent Airtel offerings to take the market by storm has been the Airtel 888 Unlimited Freedom Plus pack which was the first in Sri Lanka to offer unlimited voice calls to any Airtel number, unlimited access to Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and YouTube, and a generous data allocation, all valid for 30 days. This package has struck a chord with customers seeking a comprehensive and affordable connectivity solution.
“Within just a few months of launch, a staggering number of customers have switched over to this pack, with more users coming on board every day. Interestingly, over 50% of activations were from youth, reinforcing Airtel’s position as the people’s brand, especially among Sri Lanka’s youth. We are also careful to continuously assess the needs of our customers and upgrade our offerings, based on their app usage preferences. That is how we ensure that products like Airtel 888 pack are always value laden, and designed around the needs of our users; hence, we have recently enhanced the 888 pack by adding three more apps to its unlimited social media portfolio. Thus making it the strongest product offering currently in the market,” Chandra explained.
Notably, Airtel was the first telco in Sri Lanka to offer unlimited calls to any network in the post-paid market, following its earlier introduction of the same feature for prepaid users through the Freedom Unlimited packs. As part of its mission to revolutionize the Sri Lankan mobile industry by providing maximum value to customers, Airtel introduced the Unlimited 1098 postpaid plan, priced at Rs. 1,098 offering unlimited voice calls to any network, along with 40GB of 4G anytime data, full HD quality video streaming, social media and SMS facilities to meet monthly requirements.
Since implementing significant upgrades to its network, powered by state-of-the-art 5G-ready infrastructure, Airtel has consistently redefined the Sri Lankan telco market. The company has launched a flurry of innovative products, engaged in socially driven partnerships aimed at empowering Sri Lanka’s youth, and advocated for progressive industry policies to ensure a more vibrant future for the Sri Lankan telco sector.
Airtel Lanka’s efforts to empower Sri Lankan telco customers have also made it a powerful telco trendsetter, with all industry players having since emulated Airtel on several ‘industry-firsts’. These include Airtel’s extremely popular post-paid Data Rollover option, as well as the introduction of Unlimited Calls bundled with generous data allocations of up to 30GB of free data.
Airtel Lanka’s ‘Data Rollover’ feature enables post-paid users to carry-over of unused data to the next month, accumulating up to 200GB. This feature allows users to enjoy unrestricted HD quality social media, work from home, and downloads while saving data and expenses.
Airtel has also significantly expanded its customer service footprint, by offering facilities like SIM change, bill payment, reconnection and a host of other facilities across 25,000 retail outlets across the island.
Airtel Lanka commenced commercial operations of services in Sri Lanka in 2009 and was the fastest operator to reach 1 million customers. Registered under the Board of Investment in Sri Lanka, Airtel has committed significant investments towards delivering an enhanced 4G experience leveraging state-of-the-art infrastructure and a 5G-ready network to provide world-class mobile broadband experiences island-wide.

November 11, 2022

9th November 2022, Colombo: Airtel, Sri Lanka’s fastest growing telecommunication provider, announces its strategic partnership with Daraz as the ‘official telecom partner’ for the Daraz 11.11 sale.

The partnership with local e-commerce giant Daraz.lk will provide Airtel users with exclusive benefits, discounts, and giveaways during the promotion period 11th to 17th November 2022.

Gearing up for the 11.11 sale, the Daraz app has been ‘whitelisted’ on the Airtel network, allowing users to access the app free of charge. This will give shoppers on the Airtel network plenty of time to browse their favourite retailers on the app, and take their time filling their shopping carts without worrying about data charges. This will be a unique benefit to all Airtel and Daraz customers.

During the week, new and existing Airtel Rs. 749 users will be given a chance to win a brand new smartphone each. Additionally, customers who purchase a new Airtel Rs. 749 connection will enjoy free delivery to anywhere in the country.

Airtel’s mission in Sri Lanka revolves around a single goal of delivering maximum value to our customers. We are therefore excited to serve as official telecommunications partner for one of Sri Lanka’s largest and most preferred e-commerce events, the Daraz 11.11 sale. We warmly invite all of our users to make maximum use of the exclusive benefits Airtel Sri Lanka will be providing over and above the massive discounts on offer from Daraz,” Airtel Sri Lanka CEO/MD, Ashish Chandra stated.

Caption (From left): Daraz, Managing Director Rakhil Fernando, Airtel Lanka, CEO/MD Ashish Chandra, and Daraz, Founder & CEO Bjarke Mikkelsen

September 23, 2022

September 22nd, 2022: One year after the launch of Airtel Lanka’s industry-disrupting prepaid packs ‘Freedom’, the company announced a staggering 1.7 million users have switched to Airtel Freedom, as at the end of August 2022.

“We serve around three million customers in Sri Lanka, aided mainly by this unprecedented adoption of our Freedom packs. The overwhelming customer endorsement reaffirms our strategy of bringing simplicity and value through our products.” notes Airtel Lanka Managing Director/CEO Ashish Chandra.

Powered by Airtel’s world-class 5G-ready mobile broadband network, the telco has reimagined the overall offering and experience for customers, with a strong focus on ensuring value for money, and an advanced network experience. These factors undoubtedly resonate with most users, who are either data-heavy or call-heavy users.

Airtel Lanka’s initial innovation in facilitating unlimited, affordable access to the internet through Freedom Packs continued to evolve, with the telco introducing new world-class features to both its prepaid Freedom Packs and postpaid Freedom Plans

Airtel also disrupted the local telco market with the entrance of the Freedom Unlimited Rs.749 package, which is aimed at prepaid users. For a very affordable cost, users can now make unlimited calls to any network, with unlimited access to favourite social media platforms such as Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp, and stream superior quality videos on YouTube for 30 days in addition to receiving additional 30GB anytime date.

Airtel was also the first telco to introduce unlimited calls for any network for a postpaid customer through Unlimited 1098. Priced at Rs. 1,098, an Airtel user has access to unlimited calls to any network, 40GB anytime data and SMS facilities. Additionally, Airtel is also the only telco to offer data rollover service for postpaid customers, allowing up to 200GB to be carried onto the next month’s billing cycle, saving data and expenses for the end-consumer.

Airtel Lanka has been part of implementing many industry-firsts in Sri Lanka’s telco space, and was also the first to introduce unlimited calls in Sri Lanka, on calls made to the same network. With the launch of Airtel Freedom, the company offers its users the ultimate convenience for all their voice, SMS and data needs, offering even greater savings compared to the competition. With the introduction of Unlimited, Airtel Lanka undoubtedly serves as a clear trendsetter for the country’s telecommunications industry.

September 12, 2022

• Revolutionizes the telco industry once again by offering unlimited voice calls to postpaid users.

• Only telco to continue to offer ‘Data Rollover’ facility; where unused data can be carried forward to the next month.

September 10th, 2022: After completing its nationwide 4G rollout to provide coverage to all 24 districts of the Island, in yet another industry first, Airtel Lanka is the first telco to introduce unlimited calls to any network for all of its postpaid users. Earlier this year, Airtel was the first to introduce unlimited calls to any network for prepaid users through their Freedom Unlimited packs.

As a part of the telco’s mission to disrupt the Sri Lankan mobile industry by delivering maximum value to customers, the latest iteration of Airtel’s Unlimited Freedom Postpaid Plans is the Unlimited 1098. Priced at Rs. 1,098, this newly crafted Unlimited Plan, allows postpaid users to now be able to enjoy unlimited voice calls to any network, coupled with 40GB 4G anytime data with full HD quality video and social media and SMS facilities to any network to suffice a month’s requirements.

Furthermore, Airtel is also the only telco to continue to offer ‘Data Rollover’ facility to postpaid users, allowing unused data of the month to be carried onto the next month, saving data and expenses for a user. Users can accumulate up to 200GB of data which help them use it for unrestricted HD quality social media, work from home and downloads.

Ideal for individuals, corporates and entrepreneurs alike, Airtel’s Unlimited Plans are designed to deliver maximum value to its users. In addition to providing the highest quality voice call facilities and mobile data services, Airtel’s 1098 package also enables a reduction in monthly telco expenses by at least 50%.

“Airtel’s core mission is to deliver a world class mobile broadband experience to all our users, while driving product innovations that ensure every customer segment has access to a fair deal. Especially at a time of such significant economic hardships, we are seeing a tremendous response from our prepaid users for the unlimited offers, and we are excited to offer the same kind of freedom to our valued postpaid customers,” Airtel Lanka MD/CEO, Ashish Chandra stated.

Airtel Lanka has been part of implementing many industry-firsts in Sri Lanka’s telco space, and was the first to introduce unlimited on-net calling and now the first to introduce unlimited calls for any network in Sri Lanka. With the launch of Airtel Freedom, the company offers its users the ultimate convenience for all their voice, SMS and data needs, offering even greater savings compared to the competition. With the introduction of Unlimited, Airtel Lanka undoubtedly serves as a clear trendsetter for the country’s telecommunications industry.

Airtel’s rollout of groundbreaking value-focused products follows on the telco’s substantial investments into further enhancing its 4G experience. Through the installation of state-of-the-art infrastructure, and it’s recent boosting of its mobile-broadband network to following the sunset of the telco’s 3G services, Airtel Lanka now offers coverage to more than 90% of Sri Lankan telco users island-wide.

July 7, 2022

Sri Lanka’s youth focused-telco, Airtel Lanka, recently partnered with the College of Technology, Galle (COT, Galle) to support a new generation of tech-experts and entrepreneurs with learning and development in both technical and soft skills.

Through the partnership, Airtel Lanka will be providing 30 students from COT, Galle’s junior and senior batches with access to training and skills development, as well as new computers and equipment. Airtel will also be offering student’s real world experience through the establishment of a 6-12 month paid internship programme for the best and brightest final year students.

“Like many countries across the globe, Sri Lanka is facing a period of deep economic uncertainty. It is exactly these kind of moments in which all corporates must rally together in order optimize productivity, and uncover new opportunities for growth. We believe that the ICT and telco sector have an instrumental role to play in catalyzing this recovery.” Airtel Sri Lanka Managing Director/CEO, Ashish Chandra stated

Ashish further stated, “To succeed, we need to train young Sri Lankans and equip them with the knowledge and tools they need to excel in these fields. This in turn will give rise to a new paradigm in rapid, decentralized economic development and job creation, across Sri Lanka. Our partnership with the College of Technology, Galle is another significant milestone in this vital journey,”

Leveraging Airtel’s existing relationships with strategic business partners like Huawei, students will also be provided with technical training on data communication, microwave installation and configuration, and BSS Networks. Additionally, COT, Galle’s graduates will also receive soft skills training and mentoring on the professional journey of telco engineers, personal brand building, expectations when entering the corporate world and practical advice on facing interviews, as well as opportunities to visit the Airtel Mobile Switching Centre (MSC) at Maligawatta to get a hands-on experience with core operational aspects of the telco industry.

May 1, 2022

Shuts down its 3G data network; 2G (voice and text) services to continue uninterrupted

Airtel Lanka announced that it will be upgrading its network with additional LTE bandwidth and capabilities by shutting down 3G data services. This will allow Airtel Lanka’s 4G/5G services to be enhanced and improved, offering users a faster and consistent network experience. The move is said to result in upto 50% increase in data speeds and will also drastically reduce network traffic congestion.

The shutting down of 3G data services will take effect from 24^th June 2022. The telecom operator reiterated that its 2G network will continue to operate, allowing all its users, including the 2G and 3G handset customers to have uninterrupted access to voice and text message services.

Furthermore, Airtel confirms that a significant number of users have already migrated to 4G and are currently enjoying its benefits. To facilitate the remaining 3G only, data users to upgrade to 4G, Airtel has partnered with leading retailers to offer a range of affordable options for 4G-enabled devices across all price points. Additionally, all users who upgrade from a 3G only device to a 4G device will receive FREE 60GB anytime 4G data.

Airtel’s world-class 4G network around the island is also 5G ready and promises users a superior experience including 99% buffer-free streaming, noticeably quicker loading times and improved indoor coverage with 4G signals that never fail. Airtel offers 4G users a range of Freedom packs, each designed with affordability, reliability and quality in mind.

April 25, 2022

April 24, 2022: As a company recognised for being one of Asia’s Best Places to Work and boasting of a culture demonstrating great leadership, Airtel Lanka recently saw three of its department heads take home accolades at the recently concluded Great Manager Awards 2021, hosted by the Colombo Leadership Academy (CLA).

Through progressive manager development initiatives such as “Lead Right”, Airtel Lanka aims to advance its managers to become effective and transformational leaders. The company often engages in such initiatives through partnerships with local institutes and the Airtel Global Leadership Academy.

“While we are being proactive in our journey to convey excellence in our offerings, we also strive to nurture leadership and strategic expertise among our key managers and senior staff members. Today’s achievements certainly mark a milestone in our relentless efforts towards developing learned and multi-talented leaders,” commented Airtel Lanka Managing Director and CEO Ashish Chandra.

From Airtel Lanka’s Finance Department, Eranda Siriwardena – Head, Business Planning and Analysis and Fawaz Nizamdeen – Head, Contact Experience were awarded in the “Aligning Organisational Vision” category, while Duminda Akalanka – Senior Manager, Channel Accounting was awarded in the “Driving Results & Execution Excellence” category.

Airtel Lanka’s victory came following the successful recognition under two rounds of selection, where in the first round, a survey was conducted among each participant’s peers and subordinates. In the second round, the selected persons underwent interviews with the Governors of CLA.

These three participants stood out for their leadership styles, team management skills, strategy execution, focus on personal development and more.

Sharing his views on the victory, Eranda Siriwardena said that, “An effective strategy coupled with spot-on delegation of duties is a key winning factor seen at Airtel Lanka, and I am happy to have played a part in it.”

Fawaz Nizamdeen shared a similar remark to his win, “Without the support from management, that centres its operations on excellent customer satisfaction and a fantastic team that shares the same view, any business would fail to deliver a stellar customer experience.”

Furthermore, Duminda Akalanka noted, “I have always believed that relationships, maintained well over time, will bring about fruitful returns to all parties concerned. I am thankful to Airtel Lanka for accepting, supporting and nourishing my leadership which has in return brought us many successful long-term collaborations.”

On an individual level, the Great Manager Awards serves as an opportunity for each company to learn of its own managerial and leadership effectiveness quotient and assess itself when placed against the best in the country, identifying overall strengths and areas of development for the managerial pool within the company. In this there is also an opportunity to evolve higher engagement levels through building stronger managers and strengthen the manager community in the industry. The awards also serve the greater purpose of assessing the eco system of nurturing great managers and best practices amongst a wide spectrum of organizations in the country as a whole.

April 19, 2022

Sri Lanka’s most preferred telco among youth, Airtel Lanka once again won recognition at the National Business Excellence Awards (NBEA).

Organized by the National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka (NCCSL), Airtel was presented with the Merit award in the ‘Other Services/Other Sectors’ category. The award was in recognition of the telco’s continuous investments towards enhancing digital connectivity across the nation, while creating innovative and a rewarding customer experiences.

Commenting on the win, Airtel Lanka CEO and Managing Director, Ashish Chandra said, “It is an honour to be recognized among such a distinguished group of enterprises. The past year has been a lesson in the value of delivering excellence in all facets of business. While we are witnessing challenging times, we continue to believe in Sri Lanka’s potential and we look forward to creating value that positively impacts the nation’s economic progress.”

Notably Airtel has also previously been recognized in the same category in 2019. The NBEA is one of Sri Lanka’s pioneering award competitions initiated by The National Chamber of Commerce of Sri Lanka. It has maintained a strong reputation as the premier national platform which recognizes the best of the best businesses in corporate excellence in Sri Lanka.

March 22, 2022

March 21, 2022: Airtel Lanka’s focused investment on upgrading skills of employees secured a Gold Award in the Territory Manager category, at the recently concluded National Sales Congress 2020 (NASCO).

Securing the award, Nuwan Fernando, Assistant Territory Sales Manager, Airtel Sri Lanka was praised for his successful interview with the SLIM appointed judges for NASCO 2020, as well as for his presentation on demonstrating success stories in potential, performance and strategic input. From a managerial perspective, Nuwan also demonstrated on the measures taken to empower his team and thereby his contribution to sustain the company’s reputation as a sought after employer of choice.

Due to the remarkable performance at the interview and winning Gold, Fernando was also part of the prestigious group “Best of the Best” – comprising of Gold Winners across all industries.

“Inculcating effective on-the-job training along with continuous learning and development initiatives with reputed institutes for our Sales team members, we were able to refresh their competencies and up-skilling in a timely manner. This has undoubtedly supported our candidates, and specifically Nuwan Fernando in this case, to perform well at awards evaluations,” commented Airtel Lanka Managing Director and CEO Ashish Chandra.

Airtel Lanka continuously strives to create a competitive platform to empower its workforce with progressive growth. Through awards programmes conceptualised in-house as well as reputed institutes, Airtel Lanka ensures a motivated and competitive mind set among the entire workforce.

SLIM NASCO, organised by the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing, is the only award in Sri Lanka which rewards high performing individuals and provides national level recognition for their efforts and achievements in the sales fraternity.

Being recognised at this premier event for sales excellence, especially during a pandemic, provides the right motivation for sales professionals to achieve even greater heights in the future. All entries at the SLIM NASCO Awards are screened via an eminent panel of judges to select the best performers in the country. The only credible and respected award ceremony for sales professionals, SLIM NASCO has become a badge of honour for sales professionals and corporates.

November 17, 2021

November 17, 2021: Pushing through the challenges posed through every evolving variant of the globally disruptive coronavirus since last year, Airtel Lanka marked a key milestone, when the youth preferred telco was recognised among the Best Workplaces in Asia – Small and Medium List 2021, by Great Place to Work.

This is the first time that Airtel Lanka was bestowed with this recognition, and is a testament to the company’s efforts for being one of the only telecommunication service providers to push innovation and early-adaption for a new and resilient workplace culture.

The entire process however, does not overlook the essentials and facilities that employees require. In fact, it increases focus on specific employee-centric areas to enable the workforce to be productive in the time they spend working, driven to achieve, and contented in nearly every aspect of their personal lives.

“In times like this, being connected is a key driver in ensuring the wellbeing of our employees. Increasing our engagement with them through innovative digital mediums really gave us the opportunity to support them in an emotional, physical and financial sense,” noted Bharti Airtel Lanka CEO Ashish Chandra.

According to Airtel Lanka’s Head of Human Resources Kanishka Ranaweera, for most organisations, much like Airtel, there are four key areas they should increase focus on.

Firstly, an increase focus on improving employee wellbeing, not only are they protected from the threat of the pandemic but also supported in their emotional, physical and financial wellbeing.

Secondly, the adaption to ‘Work from Home’. The WFH culture started as a novel alternative to physically going to work, but after a whole year, it’s evolved into a way of life.

Third, encouraging a comfortable and flexible working lifestyle. Employees can put in their own working hours and work when it is most suitable to them. We don’t monitor employees, rather trust them for a timely delivery.

Last, utilising effective tools and platforms for employee skills development. Organisations have witnessed platforms and digital tools rapidly improve and become more adaptable to employees and this was also the case for us.

“Focusing on these four areas is what gave us an edge over the competition. Implementing this train of change before the first lockdown even came into effect last year, helped the adaption process become more quick and efficient. So, our culture has become more collaborative and empathetic, making our workforce more equipped to handle even a higher demand,” commented Kanishka.

On top of the key focus areas, Airtel’s success is attributed to two main factors- the level of trust placed in employees and how they embraced and adapted to the new normal. “Humans thrive on good relationships and trust, and our approach towards our employees reflects the same,” he added.

Equipped with strategic business continuity plans, Airtel Lanka also emphasises on elevating the sense of security and safety among employees. They are provided with everything, from necessary personal protective equipment, to access to quality healthcare for preferential treatments, insurance covers for COVID-related testing and consultancy through oDoc, free-of-charge.

Also, in the unfortunate event that an employee tests positive for the coronavirus, the telco ensures paid leave and family support during that period.

“We also made it a point to enhance our engagement with our employees. Always being connected through new and innovative digital mediums, engaging through virtual games that are fun and helpful in development, and even hosting traditional events and competitions online, from Bakthi Gee and Carols to Art Competitions for the whole family to be a part of,” Kanishka said.

“Even on the corporate level, after realising the importance of increasing and improving communications, the CEO Connect and HR Connect sessions were birthed.”

For the telco, the return of all the investing and care for its employees is a very satisfied customer base. Airtel Lanka’s engagement scores have improved drastically, with attrition at an all-time low. With satisfied employees taking the organisation to new heights in the new normal, the telco commits to continuously innovating and enabling its workforce, proving indeed to be a great place to work for all.

Older Posts

Airtel Lanka reaffirms commitment to customers during challenging times

Airtel Lanka official telecommunications partner for Daraz 11.11

Airtel Lanka records 1.7mn customers switch to Freedom Packs

Airtel Lanka disrupts the postpaid market, reveals plans to reduce bills by 50%

Airtel Lanka to build new opportunities for students at College of Technology, Galle

Airtel Lanka strengthens its 4G network

Airtel Lanka marks triple win at CLA Great Manager Awards 2021

Airtel Lanka’s investments in enhanced service and value recognised at NBEA 2021

Airtel Lanka’s Nuwan Fernando wins Gold at SLIM NASCO 2020

Great Place to Work ranks Airtel Lanka among Best Workplaces in Asia