Overview
- Airtel Africa, which announced the board changes Wednesday, said founder-chair Sunil Bharti Mittal will retire at the end of the July 2026 AGM and Gopal Vittal will become non-executive chair.
- The company said Vittal’s elevation comes via a nomination by the controlling shareholder under a 2019 relationship agreement, so he will not be classified as independent under the UK Corporate Governance Code.
- Shravin Bharti Mittal will take the role of deputy chair from the same date to maintain family continuity and to act as the board’s link to the Airtel Money board and the Dubai headquarters.
- As part of the same succession plan, non-executive director Annika Poutiainen will retire at the July meeting after more than seven years on the board.
- Bharti Airtel shares rose intraday after the disclosure, with Republic World reporting a gain of about 1.76% to Rs 1,835.30.