Empowering Indian SMEs with Zero Trust: A Conversation with Sharat Sinha, Director & CEO – Airtel Business

In an era where cyber threats are growing more sophisticated and relentless, Indian SMEs find themselves increasingly vulnerable yet critical to the country’s digital growth story. To address these challenges, Airtel Business is bringing enterprise-grade cybersecurity within reach for smaller businesses through its cutting-edge Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) solutions. In this exclusive conversation, Faiz Askari, Founder of SMEStreet, speaks with Sharat Sinha, Director & CEO of Airtel Business, to explore how Airtel’s managed security offerings are empowering SMEs to build resilience, protect customer trust, and drive growth confidently in a digital-first India. 

Here are the edited excerpts: 

The Changing Cybersecurity Threat Landscape for SMEs

Faiz Askari: In your view, how is the cybersecurity threat landscape evolving, and what trends should SMEs be preparing for?

Sharat Sinha: The threat landscape is evolving rapidly. Attackers are leveraging AI for personalized phishing, ransomware is increasingly targeting supply chains, and SMEs are in the crosshairs because they’re seen as having weaker defenses. Even a small business today can become a gateway to larger enterprise breaches.

SMEs must prepare for automated, relentless threats by adopting cloud-based, scalable security models like Zero Trust. Real-time monitoring, continuous authentication, and centralized policy enforcement have become essential. Managed security services can help bridge the skills gap and build resilience. By partnering with trusted providers like Airtel, SMEs can stay ahead of both threats and regulatory demands without bearing the burden of building in-house cybersecurity expertise.

Inside Airtel’s Zero Trust Architecture: Key Features and Advantages

Faiz Askari: Can you introduce Airtel’s fully managed Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) solution and explain what sets it apart in the cybersecurity landscape?

Sharat Sinha: Airtel’s Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA), delivered through our “Airtel Secure Digital Internet” solution, is purpose-built for today’s cloud-first, hybrid, and remote work environments. At its core is the principle of “never trust, always verify,” ensuring every user, device, and network interaction is rigorously authenticated and authorized before access is granted.

What truly sets us apart is our fully managed, cloud-native approach. We combine robust identity verification, continuous authentication, advanced threat protection, SSL inspection, and centralized policy management—all delivered seamlessly as a service. With capabilities like micro-segmentation, Security Service Edge (SSE) integration, and 24/7 monitoring through our dedicated Security Operations Center (SOC), we empower businesses of any size to achieve enterprise-grade security without the complexity or high costs. Our solution is scalable, easy to deploy, and ensures consistent protection whether teams are working on-site or remotely.

Faiz Askari: How does Airtel ensure seamless deployment of its ZTA solution for small and medium businesses, many of which may lack dedicated IT teams?

Sharat Sinha: We designed our ZTA solution to be fully managed and simple to deploy, making it ideal for SMEs without large or specialized IT staff. From initial setup to ongoing support, Airtel’s experts handle everything—onboarding, centralized policy management, and continuous threat protection.

Our solution integrates with Airtel’s pan-India Internet Leased Line connectivity and leverages cloud-based security, eliminating the need for complex hardware or significant capital investments. SMEs can choose standalone or bundled options, and our team ensures a smooth, disruption-free transition. This allows SMEs to focus on their business, while we take care of their security.

Why Zero Trust is a Strategic Imperative for Indian SMEs

Faiz Askari: Why do you believe Zero Trust Security has become crucial for today’s SMEs, especially in the Indian market?

Sharat Sinha: Zero Trust Security is no longer optional—it’s a necessity for Indian SMEs. With digital adoption accelerating and threats growing more sophisticated, perimeter-based defenses are simply not enough. Zero Trust ensures every user, device, and connection is continuously verified, dramatically reducing the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches.

For Indian SMEs—who often have limited IT resources yet handle sensitive customer data—Zero Trust is a strategic imperative. It strengthens resilience, safeguards customer trust, and enables secure growth in a fast-changing digital economy. Our approach makes Zero Trust accessible and affordable so even small businesses can defend themselves against advanced threats and compliance risks.

Faiz Askari: Cost is a major concern for SMEs. How does Airtel’s ZTA solution balance affordability with robust security features?

Sharat Sinha: We fully understand that cost is a top priority for SMEs. That’s why our ZTA solution is designed to deliver enterprise-grade security at a predictable, scalable price—without the complexity or expense of traditional models. By leveraging cloud-native technology and managed services, we remove the need for costly hardware or large in-house IT teams.

Our customers receive comprehensive protection—advanced threat detection, SSL inspection, data loss prevention, and 24/7 monitoring—in a single, affordable subscription. This empowers SMEs to invest in growth while remaining safe, compliant, and resilient.

The Airtel ZTA Customer Journey: From Onboarding to Implementation

Faiz Askari: Can you walk us through a typical customer journey—from onboarding to full implementation—of the ZTA solution?

Sharat Sinha: Absolutely. Here’s how a typical journey unfolds for an SME:

1. Initial Consultation – We start with a security assessment to understand the customer’s business needs, risk profile, and current infrastructure.

2. Customized Solution Design – Our experts design a Zero Trust framework, tailored to their requirements, covering identity management, segmentation, and access controls.

3. Seamless Deployment – Airtel handles everything: connectivity, security policy configuration, and cloud application integration, with minimal disruption.

4. Training & Enablement – We train staff and administrators to ensure everyone is confident with the new protocols and best practices.

5. Continuous Monitoring & Optimization – Our SOC provides 24/7 monitoring, threat detection, and regular reviews to keep security posture up-to-date.

6. Ongoing Support – Our support team is always available for compliance reporting, incident response, and evolving security needs.

This end-to-end, fully managed approach ensures SMEs can adopt Zero Trust confidently, regardless of their internal IT capabilities.

Faiz Askari: What are some of the key cybersecurity challenges SMEs are currently facing, and how does Airtel’s ZTA solution address them?

Sharat Sinha: SMEs today face a perfect storm: rising ransomware and phishing attacks, limited IT skills, outdated technologies, supply chain vulnerabilities, and human error. These challenges can severely disrupt business continuity and damage reputation.

Our ZTA solution tackles these head-on by enforcing the principle of “never trust, always verify” at every access point, minimizing the attack surface and enabling centralized policy management. With our cloud-native, managed services approach, SMEs gain advanced threat detection, data loss prevention, and secure access without large investments or technical debt.

Faiz Askari: What kind of real-world impact have you seen so far from SMEs using Airtel’s ZTA solution? Any success stories you can share?

Sharat Sinha: We’ve seen tangible, positive results across sectors:

• Healthcare: A mid-sized provider facing constant phishing and ransomware saw an 80% drop in phishing success rates and zero ransomware incidents post-deployment. Their compliance processes also improved through centralized reporting.

• E-commerce: An SME with remote teams struggled with unauthorized access and data leaks. With Airtel’s ZTA, they gained granular access controls, real-time monitoring, and automated threat responses—resulting in zero data leaks and improved customer trust.

• Manufacturing: A company with limited IT staff connected multiple sites and partners securely, reducing their attack surface even as supply chain threats spiked.

These businesses highlight the peace of mind and growth focus they gained, knowing their security was managed and resilient.

Faiz Askari: How does Airtel support SMEs post-deployment in maintaining and adapting their cybersecurity strategies as threats evolve?

Sharat Sinha: Our partnership goes well beyond deployment. Through our intelligent Security Operations Center (iSOC), we provide 24/7 monitoring, AI-driven threat detection, and rapid incident response.

We also deliver continuous vulnerability management, proactive policy updates, and compliance support as regulations change. Our unified security portal gives SMEs real-time visibility and actionable insights, helping them adapt to new threats quickly. With Airtel as their partner, SMEs can stay protected and compliant while focusing on their core business priorities.

Faiz Askari: Looking ahead, what role do you see Airtel playing in shaping the future of cybersecurity for India’s SME sector?

Sharat Sinha: Airtel is committed to being a key enabler of digital resilience for India’s SMEs. As digital transformation accelerates, we recognize the unique threats and challenges SMEs face—rising cyberattacks, regulatory complexity, and resource constraints.

Our vision is to democratize advanced, AI-powered, fully managed security so that even the smallest businesses can build security into their growth strategy. By combining our trusted connectivity, innovative partnerships, and deep expertise, we’re helping SMEs compete and thrive in a secure digital India. Security should never be a barrier to ambition—and Airtel is here to make sure it isn’t.