Bharti Airtel Announces Major Leadership Reshuffle

Bharti Airtel announced a sweeping reshuffle of its top management on Thursday, December 18, 2025.

Following a board meeting that concluded late evening, the telecom giant confirmed that Shashwat Sharma will take over as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel India, effective January 1, 2026.

This transition marks the culmination of a year-long, orchestrated succession plan.

Gopal Vittal, who has steered the company through thirteen years of intense market volatility—including the 2016 entry of Reliance Jio and the recent 5G rollout—will move into a broader role as Executive Vice Chairman.

Shashwat Sharma’s Five-Year Mandate

Shashwat Sharma, currently serving as the CEO-designate and Chief Operating Officer, has been appointed for a five-year term.

Over the past twelve months, Shashwat has worked in close tandem with Vittal to ensure a seamless handover of India’s second-largest telecom carrier.

As MD & CEO, Shashwat will report directly to Gopal. This clear reporting line preserves the strategic momentum built over the last decade.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, expressed immense confidence in the new leadership, stating that “change and continuity will go hand in hand” as the company enters its next phase of growth.

A New Strategic Focus for Gopal Vittal at Bharti Airtel

As Executive Vice Chairman, Gopal Vittal’s responsibilities will expand beyond day-to-day operations to encompass the entire Bharti Airtel group and its global subsidiaries.

His new whole-time director role will focus on:

Group Synergies: Harmonizing digital and technology initiatives across geographies.
Future-Proofing: Driving network strategy, procurement efficiency, and high-level talent management.
Global Oversight: Gopal will also join the board of Airtel Africa Plc as a nominee director to provide strategic guidance to the firm’s international business.

CFO and Compliance Re-shuffling

The leadership changes extend deep into the finance and compliance functions to support the new organisational structure:

Soumen Ray, currently the CFO of Airtel India, has been elevated to Group Chief Financial Officer. He will report directly to Gopal and oversee financial strategy across the entire group.
Akhil Garg, a 12-year Airtel veteran who recently managed the successful Hexacom IPO, will succeed Ray as the CFO of Airtel India. Akhil will report to both Shashwat Sharma and Soumen Ray.
Rohit Krishan Puri has been promoted to Company Secretary and Compliance Officer, while Pankaj Tewari continues in his role as Group Company Secretary.

Bharti Airtel Capital Raising and Governance Moves

Coinciding with the leadership news, Airtel announced a plan to raise approximately ₹15,740 crore through a call on partly-paid shares.

The company primarily earmarks these funds for the repayment of borrowings and general corporate purposes, strengthening its balance sheet during the leadership transition.

This financial move strengthens the company’s balance sheet as it transitions to new leadership.

Furthermore, the board approved an amendment to the shareholders’ agreement with Singtel.

This update modernises governance standards and reflects the ‘evolving maturity’ of the partnership. However, it does not change the management control of the company.

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