By Navya Dubey

Copyright republicworld

New Delhi: At the Republic Leadership Conclave, Rajan Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, reflected on India’s journey since economic liberalisation in the 1990s and how it played a key role in the growth of companies like Airtel.He said, “We are at a very bright spot,” highlighting India’s progress and future potential.Mittal shared story from 1992, when Bharti Group was still a small company with only $5 million in revenue and about 30 employees. That year, they decided to apply for a mobile license a bold move at a time when India was just opening up its economy to private businesses.Despite being much smaller than the large Indian and global companies they were competing with, Bharti submitted a very strong and detailed bid.While most of the established companies submitted minimal paperwork in their bids, Bharti Mittal recalled, it required “a temple load of boxes” to deliver it to Sanchar Bhavan, the headquarters of India’s telecom department.Their bid included an impressively detailed technical proposal and a competitive rental pricing of Rs 100, compared to Rs 0 or Rs 1,000 quoted by other companies.“At that time, we were told by foreign partners that we were too small to work with,” he said. “But we believed in ourselves. We knew we had to submit a technical bid that would surprise everyone and it did.”Their strong technical proposal and smart pricing strategy helped Bharti win the license for mobile services, starting in Delhi.This was a major turning point for the company. In 1995, they launched their services, and from there, the company grew rapidly.Mittal shared how the business expanded over time not just by growing organically, but also by buying other companies.From a $5 million company in the 1990s, Bharti Airtel has now become a global telecom giant with nearly $25 billion in revenue.He also stressed the importance of the 1991 economic reforms, which opened up new opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs.“Economic liberalisation gave us economic independence,” Mittal said. “It wasn’t just our story. It’s the story of India. That one change has helped thousands of entrepreneurs grow.”Today, Bharti Airtel operates across India and several other countries, serving millions of customers. Looking back, Mittal believes that India is now in one of its best phases.“With digital growth, entrepreneurship, and global interest in India rising, we are at a very bright spot,” he said. “And the best is yet to come.”