Airtel appoints Gopal Vittal as executive vice chairman, Shashwat Sharma as MD & CEO

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel on Thursday said Gopal Vittal, its current managing director (MD) & chief executive officer (CEO), will move into the role of executive vice chairman from January 1, 2026, overseeing the operations of India’s second-largest telecom carrier and its subsidiaries.

Vittal had led the telco for the last 13 years, which has seen Airtel tiding through severe disruptions in the telecom sector and, more recently, the launch of its fifth-generation (5G) commercial networks. As part of a structured succession process, he was also appointed vice chairman of the company in October 2024, in addition to being the MD.