Airtel launches mobile wallet service

On Monday, Bharti Airtel announced the launch of its innovative service - Airtel Money. Claimed to be India's first mobile wallet service by a telecom operator, this service is aimed at offering cashless transactions over the cellphone  - an effective alternative of making payments through mobile platform.

For instance, the service can be used for shopping movie tickets without visiting the cinema hall or paying coffee bill without taking out the wallet. At the moment, operational only in Gurgaon, Haryana, the service will be launched in a phased manner in the key cities across the county.

Atul Bindal, President - Mobile Services, Bharti airtel said, "The mobile phone is fast emerging as a device that enables our lives in more
than many ways. Taking this a step further, we are proud to launch Airtel Money as a first-of-its-kind  service from a telecom operator, that transforms the mobile phone into a secure and convenient wallet which customers can use to load money and use it for shopping and making payments. We see a huge potential for mCommerce services in India and are confident that the launch of Airtel Money will facilitate a paradigm shift in the way consumers transact".

The company has started partnerships with several merchants to accept payments and plans to tie up with over 3,000 merchants across the city. Airtel Money customers will also be entitled to exclusive discounts and attractive offers at various merchant outlets in the market.