Bharti Airtel has announced significant leadership changes following its Board of Directors meeting held on December 18, 2025. The comprehensive restructuring, set to take effect on January 1, 2026, represents a structured succession process that has been in development since October 2024.

Executive Leadership Transition

The most notable change involves Gopal Vittal, who has led Bharti Airtel as Managing Director & CEO for the past thirteen years. As part of the planned succession, Vittal will transition to the role of Executive Vice Chairman, overseeing Bharti Airtel and all its subsidiaries.

In his new capacity as Executive Vice Chairman, Vittal will focus on driving group synergies across digital and technology, network strategy, procurement, and talent management. He will also concentrate on group strategy and future-proofing the organization for its next phase of development.

New Managing Director Appointment

Shashwat Sharma, who has served as CEO Designate, will assume the role of Managing Director & CEO of Bharti Airtel India. Over the past twelve months in his designate capacity, Sharma has worked extensively alongside Vittal across all business functions in preparation for this transition. Sharma will report directly to Vittal in the new organizational structure.

Sharma brings substantial experience from his previous roles leading the Consumer Business and serving as Chief Operating Officer responsible for all operations at Airtel. Prior to joining Airtel, he spent thirteen years at Hindustan Unilever Limited across various roles in Sales, Marketing, and General Management. He holds a Post Graduate degree in Management from IIM Ahmedabad and a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Delhi College of Engineering.

Financial Leadership Restructuring

The board has also approved significant changes in the financial leadership structure:

Soumen Ray, who has served as Chief Financial Officer for Bharti Airtel India for approximately four years, will be elevated to Group Chief Financial Officer. Ray has been instrumental in guiding Bharti Airtel's financial performance during his tenure.

Akhil Garg, currently Financial Controller at Bharti Airtel, will take over as Chief Financial Officer for Bharti Airtel India. Garg brings nearly twelve years of experience with Airtel across multiple roles and has led several significant business projects, including the Hexacom IPO.

Administrative Leadership Changes

Rohit Krishan Puri, currently serving as Joint Company Secretary & Compliance Officer, will be appointed as Company Secretary & Compliance Officer for Bharti Airtel. Meanwhile, Pankaj Tewari will continue in his role as Group Company Secretary, providing leadership and oversight at the group level.

Chairman's Statement

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, expressed satisfaction with the succession planning, stating his confidence that both Gopal and Shashwat will continue building on the company's momentum. He emphasized the organization's pride in its highly energized and professional management team, which combines entrepreneurial flair to deliver the best technology and services to hundreds of millions of customers across their operating geographies.

All director appointments are subject to shareholder approval and will be effective for a five-year term from January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2030. The Board meeting commenced at 4:45 PM IST and concluded at 5:45 PM IST on December 18, 2025.

Bharti Airtel Limited has recorded another significant block trade on the National Stock Exchange (NSE), highlighting continued institutional trading activity in the telecom major's shares.

Latest Block Trade Details

The recent transaction represents substantial movement in Bharti Airtel's stock, with the following key parameters:

Market Significance

Block trades are typically executed by institutional investors, mutual funds, or other large market participants who need to transact substantial volumes without causing significant price volatility in the regular market. These transactions are conducted through special trading sessions designed to handle large-volume deals efficiently.

The price of ₹2,089.80 per share reflects the trading level at which this institutional transaction was executed. Such block deals often provide insights into institutional sentiment and investment flows in the stock.

Trading Mechanism

NSE block trades allow market participants to execute large transactions in a single lot, typically involving substantial monetary values. These trades help maintain market stability by preventing large orders from impacting regular trading sessions and price discovery mechanisms. The continued block trade activity in Bharti Airtel shares indicates sustained institutional interest in the telecom sector leader.