India, March 22 -- Telecom operators (telcos) in India are moving beyond connectivity and repositioning themselves as AI-ready digital platforms, intensifying competition not only within the sector but also with hyperscalers and IT services firms in managed AI, data and security.

A major telecom company in India has announced what it describes as the world's first Gen-AI collaboration, offering bundled benefits to eligible customers. At the same time, another operator is pursuing a data-driven freemium strategy built around its own cloud and AI services, curated OTT content-particularly live sports-and 5G expansion to deepen engagement across digital touchpoints.

The telecom market in India, long characterised as an oligopoly, is underg...