The deal is part of Airtel’s start-up accelerator programme and is subject to statutory approvals.

The agreement will see the two businesses work on a customer data platform, which will be offered through Airtel IQ, a network integrated cloud platform as a service.

Lemnisk is based in Bengaluru and runs a real-time marketing automation and customer data platform focused on personalisation and cross-channel customer journeys.

Airtel is a communications company focused on mobile and broadband with customers in 17 countries across south Asia and Africa.

Adarsh Nair, chief executive at Airtel Digital, said: “We are delighted to welcome Lemnisk into the Airtel start-up accelerator programme and be a part of our digital innovation engine.

“We see great potential in this alliance and together with Lemnisk we aim to create world’s largest CDP platform.”

Subra Krishnan, co-founder and chief executive at Lemnisk, said: “My co-founders, Rinku Ghosh and Praveen DS, and I are very excited to strategically partner with Airtel and work together to unlock enormous value from customer data, while keeping privacy and consent frameworks at the core.”