Mittal favours payment bank licence for telcos over banks

New Delhi: Pitching for payment bank licence for telcos, telecom tycoon Sunil Bharti Mittal said traditional banks will not be able to deliver financial services to the lower end of the population without incurring huge losses. Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd, a unit of Bharti Airtel — the world’s third-largest telco by number of subscribers — is among 41 applicants, including the likes of Reliance Industries, Aditya Birla Group, Tech Mahindra, Vodafone and Videocon, who are seeking payment bank licences.