Indosat and Safaricom Partner to Build AI-Powered Digital Ecosystems
IIndosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat or IOH) and Safaricom have announced a new strategic partnership aimed at accelerating the development of inclusive digital ecosystems in their respective markets.
The collaboration combines Indosat’s transformation into an AI-native telecommunications company with Safaricom’s global reputation for building one of the world’s most advanced mobile financial ecosystems through M-PESA. The partnership will focus on practical innovations that improve customer experience, strengthen digital trust, and support smarter investment in network infrastructure.
At the customer level, the two companies plan to work on advanced AI-driven decision-making to enable more personalised and proactive engagement. This includes developing predictive customer care solutions that can identify and fix network issues before users are affected, delivering smarter product recommendations for prepaid customers, and introducing conversational AI tools to make customer support faster and more intuitive.
Indosat will also leverage Safaricom’s experience in mobile financial services to improve the resilience, security, and personalisation of digital financial services. Key areas of focus include AI-powered fraud detection, improving payment reliability during peak periods, expanding merchant ecosystem capabilities, and creating more tailored financial products based on user behaviour.
Beyond customer-facing innovations, the partnership is expected to enhance how Indosat plans and invests in its network. By exploring AI-driven analytics and smart capital-expenditure strategies, both companies aim to ensure network investments are more targeted, efficient, and impactful—particularly in fast-growing and underserved areas where improved connectivity can deliver significant economic benefits.
The agreement also places strong emphasis on talent and leadership development. Both organisations will collaborate on initiatives to build AI-ready leadership teams, develop business-AI translator roles, and enable knowledge sharing through cross-organisational training and short-term staff exchanges.
According to Vikram Sinha, President Director and CEO of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, the partnership represents a shift from ambition to real-world implementation. He noted that combining Indosat’s AI-driven strategy with Safaricom’s expertise in digital and financial ecosystems will deliver smarter networks, safer transactions, and more personalised digital experiences for customers.
Peter Ndegwa, CEO of Safaricom PLC, said the collaboration builds on the strengths of both companies. He emphasised that the partnership is focused on creating technology that improves how people live, work, and connect, while supporting inclusive digital economies where individuals, businesses, and communities can thrive.
As digital adoption continues to accelerate across emerging markets, both companies believe that the next phase of growth will be driven not only by connectivity, but by how intelligently networks, platforms, and financial services work together to better serve customers.
