Bharti Airtel Names Shashwat Sharma as Next CEO as Gopal Vittal Moves to Executive Vice Chairman Role Soumen Ray, currently Chief Financial Officer for Bharti Airtel India, will be appointed Group Chief Financial Officer.
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Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications company, has announced key leadership changes effective from January 1, 2026. Gopal Vittal, who has served as the Managing Director and CEO of Bharti Airtel for the past 13 years, will assume the role of Executive Vice Chairman. In this position, he will oversee Bharti Airtel and all its subsidiaries.
As Executive Vice Chairman, Gopal Vittal will focus on driving group synergies in digital and technology, network strategy, procurement, and talent management. He will also play a key role in shaping the group's overall strategy and preparing the organization for future developments. Gopal has been Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel Ltd since October 2024 and has been part of a structured succession planning process.
Shashwat Sharma, who has been working as the CEO designate for the company, will succeed Gopal Vittal as Managing Director and CEO of Bharti Airtel India. Over the past year, Shashwat has spent significant time working closely with Gopal across various business functions to prepare for his new role. He will report to Gopal in his capacity as CEO.
In addition to these changes, Soumen Ray, currently Chief Financial Officer for Bharti Airtel India, will be appointed Group Chief Financial Officer and will report to Gopal Vittal. Soumen has held his current role for four years and has been a key figure in guiding the company's financial performance.
Akhil Garg, who has served as Financial Controller at Bharti Airtel, will take over as Chief Financial Officer for Bharti Airtel India. Akhil has been with the company for nearly 12 years and has led multiple business projects, including the Hexacom IPO. He will report to Shashwat Sharma and Soumen Ray.
Rohit Puri, currently Joint Company Secretary and Compliance Officer, will assume the role of 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.
Bharti Airtel provides communication services to over 600 million customers across India and Africa, with additional presence in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka through associate entities. The company offers services for both individual and enterprise customers, including mobile connectivity, cloud, cybersecurity, IoT solutions, and digital services. Airtel's subsidiary, Indus Tower Ltd, manages its passive infrastructure services.
