Indian telecom operator Vodafone Concept (Vi) introduced AI-powered initiatives for purchasers and enterprises, showcased 5G and synthetic intelligence (AI)-powered use case demos, together with skilling, telco APIs, self-organising community or SON, and satellite tv for pc communications (satcom), and extra on the not too long ago concluded India Cell Congress (IMC 2025) in October. Let’s check out all of the developments, bulletins made by Vi, and quotes from the corporate’s management on the occasion within the story forward.
“The 5G and AI use instances we’re showcasing spotlight how know-how can create actual influence, proper from equipping India with abilities at scale to defending residents from cyber frauds to empowering MSMEs and enterprises with cutting-edge options to digitise and remodel,” mentioned Abhijit Kishore, CEO, Vi, in line with an ETTelecom report [1] dated October 9, 2025.
1. Vi Unveils Vi Defend: AI-Powered Security for Prospects and Enterprises
Through the IMC 2025 occasion, Vi introduced Vi Defend, a complete AI-powered initiative that unifies all of Vi’s shopper, community, and enterprise security and safety measures in opposition to the quickly evolving panorama of spam, scams, and cyber-attacks beneath one umbrella.
As a part of this initiative, on October eighth, Vi launched two measures — an AI-based Voice Spam Detection System and an AI-driven community defence and incident response system for its core community. Vi mentioned its voice spam detection detects and flags fraudulent and spam calls in actual time. Utilizing superior AI fashions, internet crawlers and consumer suggestions, it identifies suspicious callers earlier than they attain the client.
Vi mentioned when a probably fraudulent quantity calls a Vi buyer, the telephone display screen will show ‘Suspected Spam’, thereby serving to clients resolve whether or not to reply the decision. In contrast to third-party caller ID apps, this characteristic works natively inside Vi’s community, making certain higher accuracy and enhanced privateness.
This new characteristic builds on Vi’s current shopper safety measures that now fall beneath the Vi Defend umbrella, together with:
- Spam Filtering of Textual content Messages: Fraudulent SMS messages are detected and flagged to clients
- Worldwide Calling Show: A primary-of-its-kind measure within the business, Worldwide Calling Show makes it simpler for purchasers to simply recognise real worldwide calls and make knowledgeable choices.
- AI-powered Risk Evaluation: Built-in with Vi’s DNS, SMS, and Voice Gateways, an analytical engine repeatedly learns from menace patterns to reinforce safety
Up to now, Vi mentioned its safety methods have efficiently flagged over 600 million spam and rip-off calls and messages, defending thousands and thousands of shoppers from fraud and knowledge theft. Vi will quickly be launching URL Safety in actual time: scanning and blocking suspicious hyperlinks to stop phishing and malware assaults.
Underneath Vi Defend, Vi has additionally launched an upgraded AI-powered Cyber Protection and Incident Response System to guard its core community and enterprise operations. Based on the corporate, this protection heart makes use of agentic and generative AI fashions to detect, analyze, and neutralize potential cyber threats in beneath an hour, in comparison with earlier longer response instances. The system is almost 70 % extra correct and minimizes false positives. The answer follows a five-step protection mechanism, together with:
- Anomaly Detection: Agentic AI proactively detects irregular exercise
- Contextualization and Categorization: The system classifies incidents utilizing contextual intelligence
- Interface Engine Agent: Excessive-volume knowledge is processed for speedy decision-making
- Suggestive Intelligence: AI prioritizes response actions primarily based on threat ranges
- Human Validation: Skilled analysts validate AI findings, repeatedly enhancing the mannequin
Vi may even prolong this functionality to its enterprise clients quickly, providing predictive insights by correlating international cyber occasions and assault timelines.
By means of Vi Defend, Vi mentioned it’s reinforcing its dedication to cyber resilience and enhancing buyer belief, strengthening its function as a safe and trusted enabler of India’s digital future.
Talking on Vi Defend, Jagbir Singh, Chief Know-how Officer, Vi, mentioned, “With India’s rising digital adoption and international prominence, defending clients networks has by no means been extra necessary. Vi Defend makes use of superior AI and proactive measures to guard our clients and strengthen our networks. Vi Defend is our dedication to a secure and trusted digital surroundings.”
2. Showcase Leveraging API Options
As a part of APIs, Vi showcased options for fraud prevention, which leverage cellular network-based authentication to seamlessly confirm a consumer’s telephone quantity within the background, eliminating the necessity for guide enter or consumer interplay. At its core is SIM binding, a safety characteristic that hyperlinks the consumer’s registered cellular quantity’s SIM card to their account and machine.
This binding establishes a safe authentication layer that’s extremely proof against SIM swap fraud and the interception of SMS-based one-time passwords.
3. Satcom Know-how Showcase with AST SpaceMobile
Vi additionally showcased how satellite tv for pc know-how will revolutionise distant connectivity in collaboration with AST SpaceMobile. “Central to the exhibit is a prototype of the BlueBird 3 satellite tv for pc, highlighting the potential of satellite tv for pc communications to bridge the digital divide in areas past the attain of conventional terrestrial networks. The use case demonstrates how satellite tv for pc networks assist uninterrupted, high-speed, low-latency connectivity for distant communities, enabling vital communication throughout pure disasters, and enhancing security for travellers and professionals in remoted areas,” mentioned Vi.
Based on Vi, “From distant villages to offshore seas, to mountain cities — Satellite tv for pc Communication ensures each Indian stays related.”
The telco mentioned it has deployed a multi-vendor, multi-technology agnostic AI module that analyses real-time community utilization patterns to optimise power consumption. It claimed that the deployment has led to an annual discount of “5 lakh metric tons of CO2 emissions, equal to planting 13 million timber.”
4. Vi B2B Options
Vi’s business-to-business (B2B) unit, Vi Enterprise, additionally displayed enterprise options at IMC 2025, together with automation of workplaces, Vi Enterprise CCaaS (contact center-as-a-service) options, next-generation enterprise safety and connectivity options, together with safe Wi-Fi powered by HPE Aruba.
From AI-enabled Vi Enterprise that enhances buyer journeys, and Agentic AI that modernises inside processes, to an Autonomous SOC powered by AI for clever menace detection, Vi showcased next-generation options for a contemporary office, which can be designed to assist enterprises unlock new ranges of productiveness, effectivity, and safety, in line with a submit by ViNewsOfficial on X on October 9, 2025.
Agentic Funds
Vi shared that it’s proud to be among the many first retailers in India to allow AI-powered conversational fee expertise, by way of Agentic Funds. “Launched by Razorpay, in partnership with the Nationwide Funds Company of India (NPCI), on the current International Fintech Fest 2025, this innovation permits our clients to seamlessly recharge plans or buy a number of vouchers in a single conversational stream on the Vi App,” ViNewsOfficial shared in a submit on X.
4. Vodafone Concept’s ARPU Rises for 16 Quarters Regardless of Sluggish 5G Rollout
Vodafone Concept’s common income per consumer (ARPU) has been rising for the previous 16 quarters regardless of the debt-laden telecom operator being on the again foot with 5G providers, mentioned its chief advertising officer Avneesh Khosla, in line with an ET report by Subhrojit Mallick dated October 9, 2025.
Khosla mentioned that this has been achieved primarily by leveraging current property of the corporate and upgrading current customers to higher-value plans by differentiating by way of limitless night time knowledge, knowledge rollovers and bundled providers.
“One of many bigger issues now we have performed is across the core propositions that we have constructed during the last couple of years, which was nothing however how will we differentiate from our competitor,” Khosla reportedly mentioned.
“Tariff will increase are necessary, however our means to sweat out extra income from current clients will proceed to occur. There may be extra scope to take action even with out tariff will increase,” Khosla mentioned.
Nevertheless, Vi considers a tariff hike inevitable within the close to future. “Like another class, there’s inflation, and subsequently tariff hardening will proceed,” Khosla was quoted as saying, including that future hikes will take a variable method as an alternative of a one-size-fits-all method.
“There is a good bit of labor we do on the again finish utilizing machine studying and AI (synthetic intelligence) fashions to precisely predict the shoppers that may take tariff will increase and those that will likely be price-inelastic,” he reportedly mentioned.
Khosla mentioned the telco’s means to decelerate subscriber losses prior to now few quarters was largely pushed by its enchancment in community high quality and the general buyer expertise. This was performed by addressing community failures, enchancment in buyer providers, introduction of differentiated pay as you go choices and speaking its community enlargement.
The corporate’s 5G service, which is out there in 29 cities throughout India as of August, is being launched on the premise of weighted standards relying on the 5G machine focus, greater ARPU clients and deployment in circles the place present community capability has been low, as 5G know-how helps to dump capability, Khosla reportedly mentioned.
Vi, nevertheless, has no plans to launch fastened wi-fi entry (FWA) to monetise its 5G community, he reportedly mentioned, including that the economics of FWA should not compelling as a result of the corporate doesn’t have a fibre-to-the-home providing.
“FWA clients use considerably extra capability than cellular broadband clients, virtually six to seven instances. However regardless of the huge capability consumption, the ARPU a number of isn’t as excessive. The useful resource spent isn’t being aggressively compensated,” Khosla was quoted as saying.
Following profitable rounds of fairness funding and debt funding, together with having the federal government as its largest shareholder, Vi plans to deal with the notion of the corporate struggling to outlive by way of advertising campaigns within the close to future, he mentioned.
“The objective is that as extra shoppers expertise the brand new and bolstered community, significantly 5G, this can begin cementing and constructing the notion that the model is right here to remain,” Khosla mentioned.
5. Vi’s Showcase at IMC 2025
At India Cell Congress 2025, Vi introduced a spread of 5G and AI-driven applied sciences beneath the theme “Benefit India with Human-novations.” The corporate targeted on how superior applied sciences like AI, robotics, combined actuality, and satellite tv for pc communication can work with human creativity to assist India’s improvement.
AI-Based mostly Studying Platform
Vi’s show included a instrument to assist Ability India—an AI-based studying platform that helps folks achieve job-ready abilities shortly and at scale. “Immediately, AI is remodeling the best way we repair and construct.” Supporting the Ability India imaginative and prescient, Vi showcased “an immersive AI-powered self-learning instrument, to point out how vocational abilities may be imparted at scale and allow our youth to compete at a worldwide stage.”
Vocal for Native AI Platform
One other spotlight was Vocal for Native, an AI platform for artisans, serving to them modernise conventional crafts for in the present day’s market.
“India is house to hundreds of distinctive crafts and thousands and thousands of artisans, making it one of many largest collections of conventional artwork types on this planet. Native to International makes a case for Indian Artisans, the place AI-powered idea creation instruments may help them reimagine conventional crafts for international markets whereas preserving India’s cultural heritage. Artisans can harness AI-powered design instruments to remodel conventional craftsmanship into creations which can be globally interesting whereas staying true to cultural authenticity. From native workshops to international markets, this fusion of custom and know-how can empower artisans to protect heritage, embrace innovation, and create alternatives for the longer term,” ViNewsOfficial shared on X.
Customer Engagement with Roborocks
Vi additionally invited guests to interact with Roborocks, a hands-on robotics problem utilizing VEX IQ robots developed by college students as a part of the Vi Basis’s Robotics Lab initiative. Applied in government-aided faculties in partnership with Ericsson, the programme has benefitted over 3,600 college students.
From accessible and fascinating studying with lecture rooms past partitions, to hands-on talent improvement by way of risk-free simulations, and eliminating language obstacles with voice-assisted VR instruments, Vi mentioned its VR expertise highlights how city mobility, healthcare, waste administration, and sustainability will grow to be extra inclusive and future-ready.
6. Who Visited Vi’s Sales space at IMC 2025?
Some notable guests to Vi’s sales space, as highlighted by the corporate, included the next.
- Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Division of Telecommunications, Authorities of India, explored Vi’s newest improvements and options on the Vi Sales space.
- Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, Minister of State for Rural Growth and Communications, Authorities of India, visited the Vi Enterprise sales space. He explored Vi’s vary of AI-powered and safe options which can be remodeling enterprises and empowering India’s MSMEs.
- Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia visited the Vi Sales space throughout IMC 2025. He was accompanied on a walkthrough of the sales space by Abhijit Kishore, CEO, Vi, and Ravinder Takkar, Non-Govt Chairman, Vi, the place the Minister explored Vi’s MSMEs of Bharat platform, supporting small companies throughout the nation.
- Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Tourism, Info Know-how, Electronics and Communications, Printing and Stationery, Authorities of Goa, explored the Vi Sales space.
- Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman, TRAI, and Ritu Ranjan Mittar, Member, TRAI, additionally visited the Vi Expertise Zone.
- Manish Kumar Sinha, Member (Finance), Division of Telecommunications, visited the Vi Sales space. He explored Vi’s tech and community improvements which can be contributing to India’s evolving telecom ecosystem, in line with the telco.
- Anand Khare, Advisor (Operations), DoT, and Debkumar Chakrabarti, Member (Companies), DoT, visited the Vi Sales space at IMC 2025, the place they skilled a demo of Vi’s “Connecting the Unconnected” answer, which highlights the potential of satellite tv for pc communications to bridge the digital divide in areas past the attain of conventional terrestrial networks.
- Devendra Kumar Rai, Joint Secretary (Telecom) at IMC 2025, skilled a demo of Vi’s MSMEs of Bharat platform, which helps small companies throughout the nation.
- Tarun Kapoor, Advisor to the Prime Minister, visited the Vi Expertise Zone throughout IMC 2025. He explored Vi’s Connecting the Unconnected answer, demonstrating how satellite tv for pc know-how is ready to revolutionise connectivity in distant areas, in addition to the MSMEs of Bharat platform, which continues to assist small companies throughout the nation.
7. Management Speaks – What They Mentioned
EVP – Know-how
Rajesh Singh, EVP – Know-how, Vi, spoke on Day 1 of IMC2025 at a session on 5G Evolution.
“RAN continues to be the most important value heart for the business, but in addition the most important alternative for transformation. With knowledge turning into extra clever and AI now sitting between people, units, and networks, we’re witnessing an actual evolution. At Vi, we’re leveraging AI-driven RAN insights to optimize efficiency and unlock new use instances. As cloudification and next-gen computing reshape the ecosystem, clever RAN will likely be on the core of driving effectivity, innovation, and the true energy of 5G,” mentioned Rajesh Singh, EVP – Know-how, Vi.
Chief Know-how Officer
Jagbir Singh shared his insights at IMC2025 throughout the session “Aligning Innovation with Coverage for Digital Management.”
“We’re witnessing super improvement throughout India, however there are nonetheless a number of challenges on the floor stage, particularly relating to coordination with native authorities. Maintaining in thoughts that telecom providers are important providers, we have to guarantee good coverage assist to allow good shopper expertise & development of Digital India. For India to keep up a aggressive and environment friendly development surroundings, smoother execution frameworks are important. That mentioned, the federal government deserves credit score for its progressive digital & infrastructure insurance policies, that are serving to the business transfer in the correct route. With continued collaboration between the personal sector & authorities, we are able to speed up the following part of India’s digital development,” mentioned Jagbir Singh, Chief Know-how Officer, Vi.
VP-Digital
On Day 2 of IMC2025, Rohit Misra, VP-Digital, Vi, spoke on the panel “The API-Powered Financial system – Scaling Innovation by way of Open and Interoperable Networks,” emphasizing the function of APIs in unlocking scalable, safe, and accountable innovation throughout various industries.
“It’s important to take a look at the broader framework as we transfer deeper into the API-powered financial system. At Vi, knowledge safety and buyer privateness are on the core of each innovation we pursue. With an ever-expanding vary of information indicators, there is a super alternative to develop scalable and standardised options suited to India’s various market. The cellular quantity continues to be one of many strongest digital identities, giving telcos a novel edge in enabling safe and interoperable experiences. Simply as UPI remodeled digital funds by way of collaboration and openness, Telecom APIs can unlock the following wave of innovation throughout industries, responsibly and at scale,” mentioned Rohit Misra, VP – Digital, Vi.
EVP – Know-how
Gulshan Khurana, EVP – Know-how, Vi, joined business leaders at a panel titled “Shaping the Community Financial system: The NaaS Crucial (Half B),” the place he highlighted that the race for NaaS adoption will start with enterprises earlier than reaching shoppers.
“The idea of NaaS isn’t new and has been tried in numerous types and fashions. What we’re seeing now’s the deployment of latest networks, with cost-effectiveness and multitude of providers as the primary crucial. A number of choices may be constructed on the identical infrastructure, however enterprises in the present day face rising complexity in managing networks. The problem usually seems throughout large-scale deployments, relying on what we wish the tip shopper to expertise. The race for NaaS adoption will start with enterprises earlier than reaching shopper enterprise. It is not nearly opening up APIs as we’d like a strong system that actually delivers NaaS as a real service expertise,” mentioned Gulshan Khurana, EVP – Know-how, Vi.
EVP – Know-how
Nirupmay Kumar, EVP – Know-how, Vi, spoke at a panel session titled “Accountable AI: India’s Function in International Governance and Societal Impression,” the place he shared insights on why accountability in AI begins proper from the design stage and the way Vi’s inside AI governance framework continues to evolve with time.
“At Vi, accountability in AI begins proper from the design stage. Each AI challenge we take up goes by way of a number of layers of scrutiny, making certain governance and moral issues are constructed into the method and never added on the finish. Our inside AI governance framework continues to evolve with time, guided by our core worth of belief in direction of clients. For us, accountable innovation means testing for reliability and equity all through creation, in order that transparency and accountability stay integral to each product and providers. With our large community attain, Vi has helped join distant communities to digital providers like UPI, healthcare, and schooling. The federal government’s supportive frameworks have been instrumental in enabling structured, responsive governance wherever escalations come up,” mentioned Nirupmay Kumar, EVP – Know-how, Vi.
Chief Regulatory and Company Affairs Officer
Ambika Khurana, Chief Regulatory and Company Affairs Officer, Vi, gave her insights on the session “Combating Scams at Scale – Collective Motion for Digital Belief.”
“We have carried out a variety of AI-driven measures, from classifying SMSs and blocking malicious URLs to warning customers about suspected spam calls and messages. The dimensions is huge, working into thousands and thousands on daily basis. There may be continued give attention to stopping worldwide spoofing and enhancing grievance redressal, and educating subscribers. Privateness, each consumer and enterprise, is equally vital. We’re working pilots to construct idiot proof, clever consent mechanisms whereas aligning over a really wide selection of AI-fuelled know-how initiatives and regulatory interventions. The best way ahead lies in structured collaboration amongst Authorities and Trade gamers (together with Telecom and Digital communication service suppliers) by way of efficient alignment, stronger enforcement, communication, and collective motion as a digital society,” mentioned Ambika Khurana, Chief Regulatory and Company Affairs Officer.
CTSO and DPO
Mathan Babu Kasilingam, CTSO and DPO, Vi, spoke at a panel dialogue titled “Telecom Community Protection: Fortifying the Digital Frontier,” the place he emphasised that as AI evolves, the business should implement safeguards which can be predictive, adaptive, and resilient.
“With 5G, the convergence of IT and telecom infrastructure has accelerated quickly. What we as soon as secured in IT should now prolong seamlessly throughout networks. By means of Suggestive, Predictive, with AI at Core, Retrospective and Conversational capabilities, we’re enabling real-time monitoring and dynamic protection of each IT and telecom methods. We’re additionally addressing fraud as a cybersecurity problem, utilizing API-driven intelligence to construct safe, ‘Made in India, for India’ options. As AI evolves, the business should keep forward with safeguards which can be predictive, adaptive, and resilient,” mentioned Mathan Babu Kasilingam, CTSO and Knowledge Privateness Officer.
Mathan Babu Kasilingam additionally shared his insights at one other session titled “Al Cyber Nexus: Securing a Future Powered by AI.”
“At Vi, our AI journey started with a imaginative and prescient to reimagine cybersecurity — remodeling it from a barrier into an enabler of digital innovation. As safety occasions surged from a billion a month to almost a billion a day, we constructed a robust knowledge basis for AI-led menace detection and contextual evaluation. This evolution highlights each the promise and the duty of utilizing AI in safety,” mentioned Mathan Babu Kasilingam.
EVP – SME
Gaurav Goel, EVP – SME, Biz Ops and Strategic Tasks, Vi, spoke at IMC2025 within the session “Rewriting the Guidelines: Gen AI and the Way forward for Enterprise.”
“We’re seeing rising consolation with GenAI — from people utilizing on a regular basis instruments to enterprises embedding it in content material creation and buyer engagement. At Vi Enterprise, we’re targeted on utilizing AI to spice up productiveness, refine processes, and drive smarter outcomes. By studying from our clients and empowering workers to discover AI safely, we’re evolving our enterprise fashions responsibly — with a agency dedication to innovation, knowledge safety, and significant worth for each buyer,” mentioned Gaurav Goel, EVP – SME, Biz Ops & Strategic Tasks.
EVP – Know-how
On the IMC2025 panel, “Democratizing Intelligence: Constructing India’s AI Infrastructure (Half B),” Dusmanta Pradhan, EVP – Know-how, Vi, spoke about how strengthening AI schooling and enabling sensible purposes throughout sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and schooling can drive transformation on the grassroots stage.
“Accessible and well-governed knowledge is central to unlocking India’s AI potential. We should put money into sturdy insurance policies on privateness, frameworks, and accountable use, making certain know-how reaches each citizen. Strengthening AI schooling, from faculties to analysis hubs, and enabling sensible purposes in agriculture, healthcare, and lecture rooms can drive transformation on the grassroots. Efforts like Make in India and the push for homegrown chipsets sign clear progress. A nationwide public cloud, created and managed by the Authorities of India at reasonably priced entry, might empower people and industries alike to advance their AI journey. Shut cooperation between the Centre and State governments will likely be important in constructing AI clusters that ship inclusive and sustainable influence, mentioned Dusmanta Pradhan, EVP – Know-how.
On the panel dialogue on “Clever, Adaptive, Safe: The Rise of Autonomous Networks,” Dusmanta Pradhan, EVP-Know-how, Vi, spoke about how integration is the true enabler of autonomous networks, not simply by way of know-how, but in addition in shaping organizational frameworks and operations.
“Once we discuss autonomous networks, integration is the actual enabler not simply of know-how, but in addition of organizational frameworks and operations. The muse should be a simplified, uniform structure with interoperability and open APIs at its core. As soon as that is achieved, we are able to outline algorithms that permit networks to be taught and self-optimize. Governance is equally vital throughout know-how, group, and operations to make sure transparency, accountability, and accountable AI. In the end, it is about designing networks with people within the loop and defining what accountable automation actually means for operator and enterprise networks,” mentioned Dusmanta Pradhan.
EVP – Know-how
R. Gopalakrishnan, EVP – Know-how, Vi, shared insights on the panel “Is 5G Fueling The Enterprise Shift,” highlighting how 5G adoption is being pushed by real-world use instances, and emphasised that 5G isn’t a standalone know-how however a strategic funding.
“5G adoption within the enterprise house has a bigger dependency on the ecosystem. It is the character and energy of use instances that basically determines whether or not the know-how is leveraged successfully or not. Immediately, 5G adoption is taking form in areas like sensible manufacturing and sensible mobility, the place it allows and delivers direct enterprise advantages. From a telco standpoint, we see a steady evolution of use instances in key business segments triggering a definitive transfer in direction of the 5G know-how adoption. Additionally, 5G shouldn’t be seen as a standalone or substitute know-how, however quite as a strategic funding alternative. The proliferation of IoT will additional drive 5G adoption because it relies on a broader ecosystem of cloud, AI units, and intelligence. As use instances increase, the ecosystem strengthens, and 5G adoption naturally accelerates,” mentioned R Gopalakrishnan, EVP – Know-how.
VP – Emergent Enterprise
On the panel dialogue “Cyber Resilience: Constructing a Nationwide Risk Intelligence and Response Ecosystem,” Ashtosh Zadoo, VP – Emergent Enterprise, Vi, spoke about how safeguarding the nation’s digital spine requires a cybersecurity framework constructed on collective efforts from enterprises, community suppliers, and policymakers.
“Whereas companies are rightly targeted on securing their knowledge, it is time we predict past particular person enterprises and work in direction of constructing a nationwide cyber defend, a dome of safety for the nation. With AI and automation advancing quickly, intelligence should be embedded into our methods to make safety actually autonomous. Our cybersecurity framework should be robust sufficient to safeguard the nation’s digital spine. This requires collective effort from enterprises, community suppliers, and policymakers to maneuver in the correct route collectively,” mentioned Ashtosh Zadoo, VP – Emergent Enterprise.
Ravinder Takkar, Chairman, Vodafone Concept Restricted, highlighted that India’s digital journey is transferring past world-class requirements beneath visionary management.
