Bharti Hexacom’s CSR Report 2025–26 highlights a ₹23.9 crore commitment supporting rural schools, 310 engineering scholars and leadership education.
NEW DELHI (India CSR): Bharti Hexacom Limited provided for a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) obligation of Rs. 23.9 crore during FY 2025–26, strengthening its focus on school education, higher education scholarships and youth leadership development. Through programmes implemented primarily by Bharti Airtel Foundation, the company supported more than 9,600 students across 19 Satya Bharti Schools and funded scholarships for 310 students pursuing technology-based engineering courses at India’s leading institutions. It also supported campus development at the School of Ultimate Leadership in Gandhinagar and engaged over 60 employees in community volunteering activities.
Bharti Hexacom Limited strengthened its education-led social impact agenda during the financial year 2025–26. The company supported school education, engineering scholarships, leadership development and employee volunteering. Its CSR programmes focused on students from underserved communities. Special attention was given to girls and young people facing financial barriers.
Bharti Airtel Foundation served as the principal implementing agency. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises.
CSR at a Glance
| CSR Indicator | FY 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Average net profit under Section 135 | ₹1,190.6 crore |
| Statutory CSR obligation | ₹23.9 crore |
| CSR obligation provided for | ₹23.9 crore |
| Expenditure incurred during the year | ₹15.7 crore |
| Transferred to Unspent CSR Account | ₹8.2 crore |
| Previous year’s unspent amount utilised | ₹5 crore |
| Satya Bharti Schools supported | 19 |
| School students supported | 9,600+ |
| Share of vulnerable and marginalised beneficiaries | 82% |
| Engineering scholars supported | 310 |
| Employee volunteers | 60+ |
| Impact assessment expenditure | Nil |
| Administrative overheads | Nil |
A Clear Education-Led CSR Vision
Bharti Hexacom sees education as a powerful driver of social change. Its CSR strategy aims to create lasting opportunities for children and young people.
The company’s CSR policy covers several areas under Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013. These include:
- Education and special education
- Employment-enhancing vocational skills
- Livelihood development
- Hunger and poverty reduction
- Preventive healthcare and sanitation
- Safe drinking water
- Gender equality
- Women’s empowerment
- Support for senior citizens and orphans
- Reduction of social and economic inequalities
During FY 2025–26, education remained the central focus. The company invested in learning at different stages. It supported children in rural schools. It helped talented students enter leading engineering institutions. It also invested in leadership education.
Supporting Satya Bharti Schools
Bharti Hexacom supported 19 Satya Bharti Schools across four states during the year. These schools provided free and quality education to more than 9,600 students. Around half of the students were girls. The company’s BRSR stated that 82% of the beneficiaries belonged to vulnerable and marginalised groups.
The Satya Bharti School Programme works mainly in rural areas. It helps children who may otherwise struggle to access quality education.
Support goes beyond classroom teaching. The school model promotes life skills, confidence, participation and gender inclusion. It also encourages stronger engagement with families and local communities. Across the wider Bharti Airtel Foundation network, the programme supports more than 36,000 students through 155 schools in four states. Girls account for about 51% of total enrolment.
Scholarships for Future Technology Leaders
Higher education can change the direction of an entire family. Yet, the cost of tuition, accommodation and daily living often keeps talented students away from leading institutions.
The Bharti Airtel Scholarship Program seeks to close this gap. Bharti Hexacom supported 310 students during FY 2025–26. Girls formed 19% of this group. The students were enrolled in undergraduate and integrated technology-based engineering programmes.
They studied at institutions ranked among India’s top 50 engineering colleges under the National Institutional Ranking Framework.
The financial support covered:
- Tuition fees
- Hostel charges
- Mess expenses
- Other eligible educational costs
The support reduced the financial pressure on students and their families. It allowed scholars to focus on their education. The wider scholarship initiative had 768 scholars across two cohorts. Of these, 310 students received support through Bharti Hexacom’s CSR contribution during the reporting year.
The company also utilised Rs. 5 crore transferred from the FY 2024–25 Unspent CSR Account. This amount was used for the Bharti Airtel Scholarship Program in FY 2025–26.
Building an Institution for Public Leadership
Bharti Hexacom also supported the School of Ultimate Leadership Foundation, known as SOUL. SOUL is developing a leadership institution at Shahpur near GIFT City in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. Its programmes are expected to serve leaders at different stages of their careers. The institution aims to strengthen leadership for public good. It plans to offer short-term, medium-term and long-term learning programmes. Bharti Hexacom committed Rs. 50 crore to campus infrastructure and youth leadership development. This is a four-year, multi-year CSR project.
The CSR allocation linked to the project during FY 2025–26 was Rs. 12.5 crore. Of this, Rs. 8.2 crore was transferred to the company’s Unspent CSR Account. The amount will be used for the ongoing project within the legally prescribed period. The infrastructure was still under construction at the end of the financial year. The capital asset is registered in the name of the School of Ultimate Leadership Foundation, a registered CSR entity.
Employees Step Forward
CSR also became a platform for employee participation.
More than 60 Bharti Hexacom employees volunteered across projects implemented by Bharti Airtel Foundation.
Their activities included:
- Plantation drives
- School sports events
- Fitness and teamwork activities
- Hindi Diwas programmes
- Children’s Day celebrations
- Community engagement initiatives
Employee volunteering brings a personal dimension to CSR. It allows employees to understand community realities. It also builds stronger connections between business teams and social programmes.
Wider Impact of Bharti Airtel Foundation
Bharti Hexacom’s CSR work is connected with the wider education ecosystem developed by Bharti Airtel Foundation.
Since its inception, the Foundation reports having positively impacted:
- More than 4.3 million students
- More than 350,000 teachers
- Over 37,000 schools
- More than 7.8 million lives
Its major programmes include Satya Bharti Schools, the Quality Support Program, TheTeacherApp and higher education scholarships.
Improving Government Schools
The Quality Support Program works with government schools. It seeks to strengthen school leadership, classroom practices and student learning. The programme has partnered with more than 1,100 government schools across states and Union Territories. It has reached over 448,000 students and more than 18,500 teachers.
The model works within the public education system. It does not replace government schools. It helps them improve their processes and learning environments. This approach offers greater scale. It also makes the intervention more sustainable.
Digital Support for Teachers
TheTeacherApp is a free digital learning platform for educators. It is aligned with the National Education Policy 2020. The platform provides courses, classroom resources and teaching tools. It includes content on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy.
More than 212,000 users have accessed the platform. It offers over 2,800 hours of teaching resources.
During FY 2025–26, Bharti Airtel Foundation collaborated with CK-12 Foundation to integrate artificial intelligence into the platform. The initiative seeks to provide AI-enabled resources for teachers. The teacher development programme was also extended to three additional states and 12 aspirational districts.
Partnerships for Greater Scale
Bharti Airtel Foundation developed several institutional partnerships during the year.
Foundational Learning Partnership
The Foundation entered a four-year partnership with the Gates Foundation. The programme will focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy for children up to Grade II. It is designed to reach more than 50 lakh students in government schools. Madhya Pradesh and Odisha will be covered from FY 2026–27. Bihar is expected to join from FY 2027–28.
Army Goodwill Schools
The Foundation strengthened its partnership with the Indian Army’s Northern Command. The initiative will support 43 Army Goodwill Schools. It is expected to benefit more than 16,000 students and around 800 teachers. The programme will also support career guidance and school management systems.
Jammu and Kashmir Education Partnership
A partnership with SCERT Jammu and Kashmir aims to introduce life-skills education across nearly 10,000 schools. The proposed reach includes seven lakh students and 20,000 teachers.
Quality Support in Sikkim
The Foundation signed an agreement with the Sikkim Education Department. The Quality Support Program will cover 48 government schools in Pakyong district. It is expected to benefit over 4,000 students and 800 teachers.
CSR Financial Performance
Bharti Hexacom’s average net profit calculated under Section 135 of the Companies Act was Rs. 1,190.6 crore. Its statutory CSR obligation for FY 2025–26 was Rs. 23.9 crore. This represented 2% of the applicable average net profit. The company reported Rs. 15.7 crore as expenditure incurred during the year. The remaining Rs. 8.2 crore was transferred to the Bharti Hexacom Limited Unspent CSR Account for an approved ongoing project.
This transfer was made within the legal timeline. The amount will be utilised over the next three financial years. There was no CSR surplus available from earlier projects. There was also no excess amount available for adjustment against future obligations. The company reported no spending on administrative overheads. It also reported no expenditure on impact assessment.
CSR Governance
The Board-level CSR Committee supervised the company’s CSR strategy and compliance.
As of March 31, 2026, the committee comprised:
| Director | Position |
|---|---|
| Soumen Ray | Chairman and Non-Executive Director |
| Arvind Kohli | Member and Independent Director |
| Arun Gupta | Member and Independent Director |
| Kanwaljit Singh Cheema | Member and Independent Director |
Kanwaljit Singh Cheema ceased to be an independent director and committee member with effect from the close of business on April 23, 2026.
The committee held two meetings during FY 2025–26. All four members attended both meetings.
Its key responsibilities included:
- Reviewing the CSR policy
- Recommending the annual action plan
- Approving CSR expenditure
- Monitoring project implementation
- Reviewing statutory compliance
- Examining impact assessment requirements
- Reporting CSR progress to the Board
Impact Assessment Status
A formal impact assessment under Rule 8(3) of the Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014 was not applicable to the company’s FY 2025–26 CSR projects. This explains why no amount was spent on mandatory impact assessment during the year.
However, the company disclosed beneficiary numbers through its Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report. These disclosures help stakeholders understand the reach and inclusion profile of the projects.
Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals
Bharti Hexacom’s CSR programmes support several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals:
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
- SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Education is the strongest connecting thread. The programmes cover school learning, teacher capacity, technology education and leadership development.
A Long-Term Approach to Social Change
Bharti Hexacom’s CSR work in FY 2025–26 followed a clear pathway. It began with rural school education. It extended to teacher development. It helped students enter leading engineering colleges. It also supported an institution focused on future leadership.
The approach combines immediate support with long-term institution building. Scholarships can transform individual lives. School programmes can strengthen communities. Teacher platforms can improve education at scale. Leadership institutions can influence future systems.
The real value of this CSR portfolio lies in this connected approach. Bharti Hexacom is not treating education as a single intervention. It is supporting a learning journey. That journey begins in school and continues into higher education, professional growth and public leadership.
