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Sunil Mittal Plans Handover of Airtel Reins to Next Generation in 10 Years

Sunil Bharti Mittal announced plans to hand over Airtel's leadership to the next generation within 10 years. He was re-appointed as Chairman for another five-year term starting October 2026. The company reported a 33.5% decline in Q4 net profit due to one-time provisions, though annual revenue crossed Rs 2 lakh crore for the first time. Airtel's mobile services revenue grew 8.3% in Q4, driven by a 5% rise in ARPU to Rs 257.

Key Points: Sunil Mittal to Hand Over Airtel Reins in 10 Years

  • Sunil Mittal plans Airtel succession within 10 years
  • Mittal re-appointed as Chairman for 5-year term
  • Q4 net profit down 33.5% due to one-time charges
  • Annual revenue crosses Rs 2 lakh crore for first time
2 min read

Sunil Mittal plans to hand over Airtel reins to next generation in next 10 years

Sunil Bharti Mittal announces plans to hand over Airtel leadership to next generation within 10 years, amid Q4 results showing revenue growth but profit decline.

"I wish to hand over the reins to the next generation in the next 10 years. - Sunil Bharti Mittal"

New Delhi, May 14

Airtel Chairman and Managing Director Sunil Bharti Mittal on Thursday said that he plans to hand over the reins of the telecom major to the next generation in the next ten years.

"I wish to hand over the reins to the next generation in the next 10 years," Mittal said in the company's concall.

Mittal was re-appointed as Chairman of Bharti Airtel for another five-year term on Wednesday, with effect from October 1, 2026. The company's board also approved the re-appointment of Nisaba Godrej as an Independent Director for a second term of five years, effective August 4 this year.

The Airtel CMD said that he was not happy with the Q4 financial results of Airtel and would be working to step up the Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) of the telecom major.

Airtel's mobile services segment in India contributed 28,831 crore to the total revenue in Q4 FY2026, with growth of 8.3 per cent during the Jan-March quarter. The growth came on the back of a rising customer base, along with about 5 per cent growth in ARPU to Rs 257 from Rs 245 earlier, the company has stated in a regulatory filing.

Bharti Airtel posted a 33.5 per cent decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 7,325 crore for the March 2026 quarter, mainly due to one-time provisions related to statutory and tax liabilities.

The company's annual revenue crossed Rs 2 lakh crore for the first time.

Airtel's consolidated revenue from operations rose 15.6 per cent to Rs 55,383.2 crore in Q4 FY26 from Rs 47,876.2 crore annually, driven by a 40 per cent jump in the Africa business.

Shares of Bharti Airtel rose over 3 per cent on Thursday, a day after the company announced its January-March quarter results. Despite reporting a lower-than-expected net profit in the March quarter, owing to a one-time charge, investors remain largely upbeat on the stock on the back of the company's strong fundamentals. In March 2026, the company crossed a milestone of 65 crore customers as part of its expanding business.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

M
Michael C
Interesting to see a family-run telecom giant planning succession. Sunil Mittal has built a great company, but I wonder if the next generation will face the same regulatory challenges in India's complex telecom sector.
K
Kavya N
65 crore customers is amazing! But that 33% profit drop due to statutory provisions is worrying. Hope the new leadership focuses on customer service quality—sometimes Airtel's support is frustrating. 😅
R
Ravi K
Family businesses in India often struggle with succession. Mittal should learn from Reliance's model of professional management. But I respect his honesty about not being happy with Q4 results—more leaders should be this transparent. 👏
J
Jessica F
Revenue crossing 2 lakh crore is huge for an Indian company. Africa business growing 40% is impressive. But ARPU of Rs 257 means they're still heavily reliant on low-cost plans—not sustainable long-term.
A
Amit W
Sunil Mittal has been the face of Airtel for decades. His vision transformed Indian telecom. I hope the next generation brings fresh ideas but also respects the legacy of making calls affordable for every Indian. 🇮🇳
E
Elizabeth J
With Jio dominating the market, this succession plan seems risky. Airtel

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