NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom service provider, is undergoing an organisational change with the appointment of Shashwat Sharma as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Bharti Airtel India, effective January 2026. Shashwat Sharma, who is currently the CEO designate of the company, will succeed Gopal Vittal. Vittal will transition into the role of Executive Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel on January 1, 2026, overseeing Bharti Airtel and all its subsidiaries.
In his new role, Vittal will be responsible for driving group synergies in the areas of digital and technology, network strategy, procurement, and talent, in addition to providing overall oversight of the companies. He will also focus on group strategy and future-proofing the organisation for its next phase of development.
Over the past 12 months, Sharma has spent considerable time working alongside Vittal across the business in preparation for the role. Sharma will report to Vittal. Additionally, Soumen Ray, currently the Chief Financial Officer of Bharti Airtel India, will be appointed Group Chief Financial Officer and will report to Vittal. Ray 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 at Bharti Airtel, will be appointed Chief Financial Officer of Bharti Airtel India. Garg has been with Airtel for nearly 12 years and has held multiple roles, leading several business projects, including the Hexacom IPO. In his new role, he will report to Sharma and Ray. Rohit Puri, currently Joint Company Secretary and Compliance Officer, will be appointed Company Secretary and Compliance Officer for Bharti Airtel.
Pankaj Tewari, the Group Company Secretary, will continue to provide leadership and oversight at the group level.
“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 organisation 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,” said Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman, Bharti Airtel.