Airtel bundles Apple iCloud+, Apple TV with ₹999 postpaid plans without hiking tariffs
Bharti Airtel on Tuesday announced a major upgrade for its top-tier subscribers, without triggering the sticker shock of a headline tariff hike. The telecom operator is now enhancing its ₹999 and higher family postpaid plans by bundling Apple’s newly expanded iCloud+ offering, it said in a statement.
This includes access to Apple TV and Apple Arcade.
The strategic partnership with the tech giant is designed to give customers a compelling reason to upgrade their current packages. With iCloud+, millions of Airtel postpaid users will be able to securely store, sync, and access their photos, files, passwords, and contacts seamlessly across their Apple devices.
Their data will also be securely backed up, simplifying the process of setting up new devices while keeping their digital lives connected.
Entertainment, connectivity in single package
According to the press note, Airtel postpaid users will get access to Apple TV’s award-winning original series and movies, along with hundreds of ad-free games, including those with in-app purchases, through Apple Arcade.
The ₹999 family postpaid plan, which accommodates a family of three, already features unlimited data powered by Fastlane technology and built-in spam protection.
According to the company, integrating Apple’s services transforms the plan into a comprehensive digital lifestyle package that delivers even more value to families.
“At Airtel, we are constantly looking at ways to make our customers’ lives simpler while creating more differentiated value through our propositions,” said Amit Tripathi, Director Market Ops at Bharti Airtel. “Our family postpaid plans are designed around this belief — bringing together connectivity, entertainment and digital experiences that matter to the entire family, all through a single plan.”
Tripathi also emphasized the upgrade incentive, noting, “With the addition of Apple’s iCloud+, Apple TV and Apple Arcade to our family postpaid plan offerings, we are taking this proposition a step further, giving customers even more value and making the Airtel experience more rewarding.”
Silent push for higher ARPU
Airtel’s latest move reflects a broader tactical shift playing out across the telecom sector. After years of aggressive price wars, the industry is now focusing heavily on increasing its Average Revenue Per User (ARPU).
However, rather than announcing major, across-the-board tariff hikes that could alienate price-sensitive users, telcos are now opting for a more subtle approach.
Operators are actively tweaking existing price plans, adjusting base tariffs, and bundling premium value-added services—such as OTT entertainment and cloud storage—into higher-tier packages.
This bundling strategy serves a dual purpose:
