Bharti Airtel 's payments bank subsidiary has announced a leadership transition at the top, with founder Sunil Bharti Mittal stepping down as Non-Executive Chairman and Shabnam Sinha set to succeed him. The change is effective October 1, 2026, following approval by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Leadership transition at Airtel Payments Bank

Mr. Mittal concludes his tenure after serving since April 2016. Under his leadership, Airtel Payments Bank grew to become India's largest payments bank by revenue. The institution now serves over 121 million monthly active users and nearly 30 million bank account customers. It operates through the Airtel Thanks App and a network of over 500,000 banking points, which is the largest in the country and reaches three out of four villages across India.

The following table summarises the key details of the leadership change:

Ms. Sinha currently serves as an Independent Director on the Board, where she chairs the Special Committee for Monitoring Frauds and is a member of the Risk Management and IT Committees. She brings over three decades of experience across development finance and financial services, including tenure at the World Bank.

Commenting on the transition, Mr. Mittal stated that the bank had built one of the country's largest banking networks and brought underserved communities into formal banking. He expressed confidence that under Ms. Sinha's leadership, the bank would strengthen its position as a leading digital banking platform.

Ms. Sinha noted that digital financial services are becoming the backbone of India's inclusive growth story. She highlighted the bank's role as a bridge to the formal economy for countless Indians and committed to driving the next phase of growth.

Operational scale and inclusion

Airtel Payments Bank has emerged as the country's second-largest mobile bank and UPI Autopay player. The bank's network includes one in five rural banking points operated by women banking correspondents, reflecting its commitment to financial inclusion. The institution continues to expand access to formal banking services across urban and rural India through its digital-first approach.

Bharti Airtel has discontinued four prepaid plans — ₹299, ₹579, ₹619, and ₹649 — across India, effective immediately. Among these changes, the ₹299 plan has been replaced by a new ₹349 plan, representing a 16% price increase for subscribers on that tier.

Plan Discontinuation Details

The telecom operator has withdrawn the four prepaid offerings from its nationwide portfolio. The table below summarises the discontinued plans and the key substitution announced:

Key Highlights

• Four prepaid plans — ₹299, ₹579, ₹619, and ₹649 — have been stopped across India.
• The ₹299 plan has been substituted with a ₹349 plan.
• The replacement marks a 16% increase over the previous ₹299 price point.
• The changes are applicable nationwide.

The discontinuation of these plans reflects a restructuring of Bharti Airtel's prepaid offerings. Subscribers previously enrolled in any of the four discontinued plans will need to migrate to available alternatives, including the newly introduced ₹349 plan in place of the ₹299 tier.