Bharti Airtel Names Shashwat Sharma As MD And CEO

New Delhi: Leading telecom service provider Bharti Airtel on Monday said that Gopal Vittal, who led the company as Managing Director and CEO for the last 12 years, is being appointed Executive Vice Chairman as part of a structured succession process.

On January 1, 2026, Vittal will move into the role of Executive Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel. Shashwat Sharma, currently Chief Operation Officer (COO), will be appointed MD and CEO of Bharti Airtel on January 1, informed the company.

While continuing to lead the India business, Vittal will take on broader telecom responsibilities across the group. Sharma is being appointed CEO designate of the company. He will be responsible for the entire end-to-end consumer business. Vittal will be responsible for mentoring and grooming Sharma to take over as MD and CEO of Bharti Airtel Ltd, said the company.