Having held the roles of CEO and managing director for 12 years, Vittal will become executive vice chair of Bharti Airtel on January 1 2026.
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“I am extremely pleased with the succession and transition plan of leadership at Airtel and there could not have been a better time for Airtel to unveil the new arrangement where change and continuity will go hand in hand,” said Sunil Bharti Mittal, chair of Bharti Airtel.
Vittal took on the CEO role at Airtel in 2013, joining from Singtel. Under his stewardship, the operator saw a five-fold increase in the market capitalisation to more $100 billion, and its revenue market share grew from 30% to 40%.
The leadership shake-up, described by the operator as a “structured succession process,” will see Vittal take on the vice chair role, where he will take on broader telecom responsibilities across the group.
He will also be appointed to the board of Airtel Africa as the Bharti nominee director to provide strategic guidance.
Sharma, who will take on Vittal’s mantle in 2026, currently serves as Airtel’s chief operation officer. To prepare him for the role, he is being appointed CEO designate of the company, which will see him responsible for the entire end-to-end consumer business.
Further shake-ups will see Rakesh Bharti Mittal move on from the Bharti Airtel board to serve on the boards of Indus Towers and Bharti Hexacom. He’ll be replaced by Rajan Bharti Mittal, who returns to the board with immediate effect.
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