Data residency alone is not sovereignty, Airtel says at IMC 2026

Speaking at India Mobile Congress 2026 in New Delhi, Airtel Chief Business Officer Abhishek Biswal said data sovereignty goes beyond storage location to include access and control over infrastructure. GSMA Intelligence data shows 75% of Indian enterprises would pay a premium of about 15% for sovereign technology.

• Airtel outlines three layers of sovereignty: data, technology and operational control
• 75% of Indian enterprises would pay ~15% premium for sovereign tech
• Biswal cited the risk of service cutoffs, as happened with Nayara Energy
• GSMA Intelligence puts the average sovereign tech premium at 13%