BANGALORE: Launched earlier this week, Airtel Zero is an open-marketing platform that allows customers to access a variety of mobile applications for free, with the data charges being paid by the applications.

Stating that the Internet is neutral and will continue to be so, a senior official from Bharti Airtel on Friday asserted that an operator has a right to maximize its revenue from customers.

According to Shyam Mardikar, Bharti Airtel chief for strategy, “The Internet, I believe, was neutral, is neutral and will be neutral; there is absolutely no agenda, no direction and no industry force coming in way. But what we are confusing here is the concept of service neutrality to net neutrality,” reports PTI.

The Sunil Mittal-led company had yesterday defended the “Airtel Zero” plan, wherein it has tied-up with some applications providers so that consumers can use those for free. Launched earlier this week, Airtel Zero is an open-marketing platform that allows customers to access a variety of mobile applications for free, with the data charges being paid by the applications.

A section of the society has been blaming telcos like Airtel, for violating rule of neutrality through attempts to charge for voice over Internet calls and also the recent move incentivizing usage of only certain applications.

The principle of the net neutrality concept implies that equal treatment is given to all Internet traffic and prioritization based on payment is seen as discrimination against others. Over the last few months, operators like Reliance Communications and Uninor have tied up with players like Facebook, WhatsApp and Wikipedia to offer free usage to consumers.

Airtel Zero initiative is not against net neutrality: Bharti Airtel Experts said the lack of guidelines in this area could fuel formation of more such "partnerships" in the days to come, thus offering preferential access to some services in conflict with the principle of net neutrality.

Advocating the Airtel Zero platform, Srini Gopalan, Bharti Airtel Director- Consumer Business, said this will help drive Internet adoption through free usage and also make companies and app developers be equal partners in the process. "It will also drive innovation in the Internet and mobileapp space by providing a cost-effective and non-discriminatory platform to smaller companies in particular.”

Read More: Believe It or Not: These 10 Indian Brands are Worth in Billions and BCBGMAXAZRIA Enters Indian Market, Debuts Store In Capital