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Chairman’s Corner

Sunil Bharti Mittal

Founder and Chairman

Sunil Bharti Mittal is the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, one of India’s foremost first-generation corporations with interests in Telecom, Space Communications, Digital Solutions, Real Estate and Hospitality. Bharti has joint ventures with several global partners like SingTel, SoftBank, the UK and French Governments, amongst others.

Bharti Airtel, the flagship company of Bharti Enterprises, is a leading telecommunications company with operations in 17 countries and ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and Sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest mobile operator, serving over half a billion customers across its operations.

Sunil is the Co-Chairman of Eutelsat Group, a global leader in satellite communications, delivering connectivity and broadcast services worldwide. Eutelsat Group is listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange, with Bharti as its single largest shareholder.

Sunil is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honors, awarded to individuals for demonstrating distinguished services of high order. In 2024, he was conferred as an Honorary Knight of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) making him the first Indian citizen to receive this recognition from HM King Charles III. KBE is one of the most prestigious civil honors bestowed by the British Sovereign, in an honorary capacity to foreign nationals

He is a recipient of Harvard Business School’s Alumni Achievement Award, the highest alumni honor given by the institute. He is on Harvard University’s Global Advisory Council and has served on the Board of Dean’s Advisors at Harvard Business School. Sunil received GSM Association’s prestigious Chairman’s Award and has been conferred Honorary Doctorates by several leading universities in India and Europe.

Sunil has served as the Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce and the Chairman of GSM Association concurrently from 2016 to 2018. He has been a Trustee at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace from 2009 to 2021. Sunil served as Chair of the B20 India Action Council on African Economic Integration during India’s G20 Presidency. He is also a serving Commissioner at the International Telecommunication Union/UNESCO Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development. He is a member of the World Economic Forum’s International Business Council and a member of the Global Board of Advisors at the Council on Foreign Relations. Sunil has served on the boards of several multinational companies including Unilever PLC, Standard Chartered Bank PLC and SoftBank Corp.

Sunil is closely associated with spearheading the Indian industry’s global trade and investments initiatives. He has served as the President of the Confederation of Indian Industry and has served on the Prime Minister of India’s Council on Trade and Industry. He is Co-Chair of the ICT and Emerging Technologies Working Group of the India-US CEO Forum and a member of the India-UK, India-Japan, India-Sweden CEO Forums. He is Co-Chair of the India-Africa Business Council.

Sunil believes that a responsible corporate has a duty to give back to the community in which it operates. This belief has resulted in Bharti Airtel Foundation, which currently runs more than 173 Satya Bharti Schools and supports over 800 government schools under its Quality Support Program to ensure holistic education.

Photo Gallery

Speeches

  • Sept
    2010

    Ninth Darbari Seth Memorial Lecture

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  • Dec
    2009

    Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Lecture

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  • Aug
    2008

    Amalgamations - MMA Business Leadership Award 2008

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  • Mar
    2008

    The Future of Communications & its Role In Globalisation

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  • Dec
    2007

    When a Nation Gets Rich it Gets Rich from the top Aspects of Indian Business Development

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Awards & Recognitions

  • Business Leader of the Year

    The Economic Times, 2022

  • ICC Merchant of Peace

    International Chamber of Commerce, 2018

  • Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa)

    Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, J&K, 2018

  • Appointed Chairman

    International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), 2016

  • Elected Chairman

    GSMA, 2016

  • Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award

    Harvard Business School, 2016

  • INSEAD Business Leader for the World Award

    INSEAD, 2011

  • Corporate Consciousness Award

    NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards, 2011

  • Doctor of Science (Academic Recognition)

    Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, 2011

  • Global Game Changer

    ET Telecom Awards, 2011

  • Business Innovator of the Year

    NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards, 2010

  • Global Telecom man of the Year

    Voice & Data, 2010

  • Philanthropist of the Year Awards

    Asian Awards 2010

  • Taking India Abroad

    CNBCTV18 India Business Leader Awards, 2010

  • Corporate Citizen of the Year Award

    The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence, 2010

  • Doctor of Laws (Academic Recognition)

    University of Leeds, UK 2009

  • Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award

    Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, New Delhi 2009

  • Global Economy Prize

    Kiel Institute, Germany 2009

  • Business Leadership Award

    Madras Management Association, 2009

  • "Global Vision" Award

    U.S.-India Business Council (USIBC), 2008

  • Business Leader Transforming India

    NDTV Profit, 2008

  • GSMA Chairman’s Award

    GSM Association, 2008

  • Business Week’s top 50 influential Indians

    Business Week, 2007

  • Doctor of Science (Academic Recognition)

    Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, 2007

  • Outstanding Business Leader Award

    Society of Indian Law Firms & ASSOCHAM, 2007

  • Business Leader of the Year

    NDTV Profit, 2007

  • Laxmipat Singhania National Leadership Award

    IIM Lucknow, 2007

  • Company of the Year

    The Economic Times, 2007

  • CEO of the Year

    Business Standard, 2007

  • JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award

    All India Management Association, 2007

  • Corporate & Philanthropic Leadership Award

    American India Foundation, 2006

  • Top Executive of the Year

    Asia Money Award, 2006

  • Asia Pacific CEO of Year

    Frost & Suvillan ICT Awards, 2006

  • Asia Businessman of the Year

    Fortune, 2006

  • Best Asian Telecom CEO

    Telecom Asia, 2005

  • Business Leader of the Year

    The Economic Times, 2005

  • Emerging Company of the Year

    The Economic Times Awards, 2004

  • India's Best People CEO

    Hewitt Associates, 2004

  • Businessman of the year

    Business India, 2002

Videos

  • Sunil Bharti Mittal Co-Chairs the World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Impact Summit - 2018 in New York (September, 2018)

  • Sunil Bharti Mittal at GSMA’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (February, 2017)

  • Sunil Bharti Mittal at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress in Shanghai (June, 2017)

  • ICC Vice Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal at ICC World Council dinner in Sao Paulo

  • Sunil Bharti Mittal on global trade in the 21st century at the 9th World Chambers Congress