Choosing to invest in Airtel shares wasn't as simple as it appears today

Choosing to invest in Airtel shares wasn't as simple as it appears today. It was hard to imagine that the shares of this company would see such remarkable growth.

During the 1980s, the Indian Government aimed to increase teledensity through the development of indigenous technology at CDoT. This objective continued into 1987, with the DoT pursuing similar efforts.

The DoT was responsible for shaping telecom policies and simultaneously catering to the needs of customers.

Simultaneously, in 1986, a man named Sunil Mittal established Bharti Telecom Limited, pioneering push-button telephones in India while the rest of the country still relied on rotary phones.

It started making push-button phones and worked with Siemens from Germany. In the early 1990s, Bharti also made fax machines and cordless phones. The first push-button phone was called 'Mitbrau.

Life wasn't always smooth sailing for Mittal. Just a few years ago, in the year 1980, Sunil Mittal, facing financial difficulties, asked his uncle for a 5000 Rs. cheque in the 1980s. His uncle agreed, but before leaving, he wisely said, "Beta, Aadat Mat Dalna" 'Son, don't make it a habit.' Sunil took this advice to heart and vowed never to face such a situation again.

It was a time when the Government aimed to both regulate and fulfil the telecommunications requirements of the people.

In 1992, India had a special sale for four licenses to make mobile phone networks, and he got one. Mittal agreed with a French phone company called Vivendi.

In 1992, Bharti Telecom got permission to build a mobile network in Delhi, which was the start of their mobile services.

The growth was not very big at that time. Let me show you how many people had telephones back then. In 1989, only 0.6% of people had phones, and by 1999, it was 2.8%.

It's not a substantial expansion.

Take note that globalization commenced in 1991.

It was in the year 2000 the Government created a new company called BSNL. This company was only going to make rules, not give phone services. It was like separating the people who make the rules from the people who do the work.

Before these changes, the DoT was responsible for setting sector policies, settling disputes, and offering telecom services.

The media had a negative reaction to the new policy. Frontline magazine strongly criticized the policy, accusing the then-prime minister of "a new standard of impropriety." Outlook magazine suggested that the moves had the appearance of a financial scandal.

About 400,000 Department of Telecommunications (DoT) employees organized a prolonged strike in protest.

As we all know, the Government remained adamant and implemented the changes.

In 2002, the per-share price of Bharti Airtel Limited was approximately Rs. 15.

In 2003, the Bharti Airtel share price was ₹52.55. It started the year at ₹11.75 on January 1, and by December 31, it had risen to ₹52.55. This represented a significant annual return of 347.23%

In July 2009, a stock split was done at a ratio of 1:1. This means if you had 100 shares, after the split, you'd own 200 shares.

One common reason for a stock split is to make shares more affordable for a broader range of investors. When a company's stock price becomes very high, it can deter smaller investors from buying shares. A stock split reduces the price per share, making it more accessible to a wider audience.As of October 2012, India hadmore than 700 million working mobile phone connections. It raised the rate of people using telecom services from under 3% in 1999 to over 70% in October 2012, approaching the standards of developed countries.

Despite a significant rise in teledensity, telecom companies were facing challenges in maintaining their profit margins. It was during this time that Bharti Airtel's stock prices were declining. You can see for yourself how the media discussed the shares in 2012.

Another reason why mobile phones became so popular was that not many people in India had landline phones.

Also, companies wanted to keep in touch with their workers and thought that giving them mobile phones would make them work better.

Let's take a little trip down memory lane. In 2004, Airtel had its brand tune created by A R Rahman. Watching this video we also remember how old-fashioned those mobile phones looked compared to today, but back then, having them was exciting.

As of October 18, 2023, the current share price of Bharti Airtel is around Rs. 951.

Given such an impressive figure, who wouldn't want to look for their unclaimed Bharti Airtel Limited shares and dividends?

So, during that time, your parents made the challenging decision to invest in Bharti Airtel, which demanded foresight.

Let's now explore the benefits that can be derived from the courageous actions your predecessors undertook.

If someone had invested ₹10,000 into Bharti Airtel shares in 2002, by 2023, it would have become ₹8.32 lakhs (approximately), a huge increase of 8219.6%

If your shares have been transferred to IEPF Authority, and you need help retrieving them, we can help. To date, we have successfully recovered a total value of INR 600 million, with an additional INR 400 million in the process.

Don't wait any longer – if you have questions or concerns about recovering or transferring shares, reach out to a reputable firm with experienced experts who can expertly guide you in getting back your forgotten investments.