Shashwat Sharma to take charge as Airtel India CEO from Jan 1

New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) Bharti Airtel on Thursday said Shashwat Sharma, currently the CEO Designate, is all set to assume charge as Managing Director and CEO of the telco with effect from January 1, 2026.

The board of India's second-largest telecom company has also greenlit the appointment of Vice Chairman and MD Gopal Vittal as Executive Vice Chairman from January 1, 2026, for five years, subject to the shareholders' approval.

The board cleared the appointment of Chief Financial Officer Soumen Ray as Group Chief Financial Officer and Akhil Garg as Chief Financial Officer (Airtel India), effective January 1, 2026.

"We wish to inform that based on recommendations of HR & Nomination Committee, the Board of Directors of the company has approved...at its meeting held on December 18, 2025: (a) Appointment of Gopal Vittal (currently, Vice Chairman & Managing Director) as Executive Vice Chairman (in the capacity of Whole-time Director) of the Company w.e.f. January 01, 2026, for a period of five (5) years...," the company said in a BSE filing.

These appointments are subject to shareholders' approval.

Accordingly and in line with the planned succession, the blueprint of which was set in motion in 2024, Vittal will move into the role of Executive Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel on January 1, 2026, to oversee Bharti Airtel and all 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," the company said in a statement.

He will also focus on group strategy and future-proofing the organisation for the next evolution of its development.

The Sunil Mittal-led telco said that following the "well-structured and successful transition process", Vittal will be succeeded by Shashwat Sharma as MD and CEO of Bharti Airtel India on January 1, 2026." As CEO designate, Sharma, over the past twelve months, has spent considerable time working alongside Vittal across the business in preparation for the role. Sharma will report to Vittal.

Akhil Garg, currently Financial Controller of Bharti Airtel, will be appointed as Chief Financial Officer.

Garg has been with Airtel for nearly 12 years and held multiple roles, leading several business projects, including the Hexacom IPO.

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

Sunil 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 look forward to working alongside Gopal and the team to continue this pursuit as we drive towards our ambition of building the best global Telcom company." PTI MBI MBI BAL BAL