Bharti Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal is to step down as CEO in 2026.

In an announcement this week, the Indian carrier confirmed Vittal will be replaced by current chief operating officer Shashwat Sharma.

Sharma will officially begin the role on January 1, 2026.

Bharti Airtel
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Gopal, who is also managing director, has been at Airtel for the last 12 years.

He will remain at the company as part of a "structured succession process," which will see him appointed vice chairman of Bharti Airtel Ltd.

The company confirmed this role will see him continue to lead the Indian business and he will also be appointed to the board of Airtel Africa Plc as the Bharti nominee director to provide strategic guidance.

In the meantime, Sharma will work closely with Gopal until he becomes CEO in 2026. He will be appointed CEO designate of the company, where he will lead the entire end-to-end consumer business.

Gopal will be responsible for mentoring Shashwat ahead of the transition.

"Airtel, India’s foremost corporate entity, has had a distinguished record of well thought out structured succession planning," said Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman, Bharti Airtel.

"I am extremely pleased with the succession and transition plan of leadership at Airtel and there could not have been a better time for Airtel to unveil the new arrangement where change and continuity will go hand in hand."

The telco serves more than 550 million customers in 15 countries across India and Africa. Airtel has more than 350 million mobile subscribers in India alone.