Shashwat Sharma to succeed Gopal Vittal as Bharti Airtel’s new MD & CEO

Bharti Airtel has appointed Shashwat Sharma as its managing director and chief executive officer for a five-year term, effective January 1, 2026. The appointment was approved by the company’s board on December 18 and disclosed in a stock exchange filing. Sharma, who is currently CEO designate and leads Airtel’s consumer business, will succeed Gopal Vittal.

Gopal Vittal, on the other hand will move to the role of executive vice chairman from the same date, overseeing Bharti Airtel and its subsidiaries. In his new role, besides oversight of the companies, Gopal will also be responsible for driving group synergies in the areas of digital and technology, network strategy, procurement and talent. He will also focus on Group strategy and future proofing the organization for the next evolution of its development.

In his role as CEO designate, Shashwat has over the past twelve months, spent considerable time working alongside Gopal across the business in preparation for the role. Shashwat will report to Gopal.

Additionally, Soumen Ray, currently the Chief Financial Officer for Bharti Airtel India, will be appointed as Group Chief Financial Officer reporting to Gopal. Soumen has been in his current role for about four years and has been instrumental in guiding Bharti Airtel’s financial performance.

Akhil Garg, currently Financial Controller, Bharti Airtel will be appointed as Chief Financial Officer for Bharti Airtel India. Akhil has been with Airtel for nearly twelve years and has held multiple roles leading several business projects including the Hexacom IPO. In his new role, Akhil will report to Shashwat and Soumen.

Rohit Puri, currently Joint Company Secretary & Compliance Officer, will be appointed as Company Secretary & Compliance Officer for Bharti Airtel. Pankaj Tewari, who is the Group Company Secretary, will continue to provide leadership and oversight at a group level.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Airtel said, “I am extremely pleased with the succession and transition of leadership at Airtel and there could not have been a better time, where change and continuity will go hand in hand. I have no doubt both Gopal and Shashwat will continue to build on the momentum, and I wish them much success in their roles. As an organization we pride ourselves with our highly energised and professional management team, which combined with our entrepreneurial flair, brings to hundreds of millions of customers, the best technology and services across the geographies we operate. I look forward to working alongside Gopal and the team to continue this pursuit as we drive towards our ambition of building the best global telecom company.”