Bharti Airtel shares gain after management reshuffle: Shashwat Sharma succeeds Gopal Vittal as MD & CEO; check other changes

“In line with the planned succession, Gopal Vittal will move into the role of Executive Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel on the 1st of January 2026, overseeing Bharti Airtel and all its subsidiaries,” the company said in a statement.

In his role as CEO designate, Shashwat has, over the past twelve months, spent considerable time working alongside Gopal across the business in preparation for the role, the company said. Further, Shashwat will report to Gopal.

Gopal Vittal will be responsible for driving group synergies across digital and technology, network strategy, procurement and talent, along with oversight of the companies. He will also focus on group strategy and future-proofing the organisation for the next phase of its evolution.

Commenting on the changes, Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said, "I am extremely pleased with the succession and transition of leadership at Airtel, and there could not have been a better time, where change and continuity will go hand in hand. I have no doubt both Gopal and Shashwat will continue to build on the momentum, and I wish them much success in their roles.”

Other management changes

Soumen Ray, currently the Chief Financial Officer of Bharti Airtel India, will be appointed Group Chief Financial Officer and will report to Gopal Vittal. He has been in his current role for about four years and has played a key role in guiding Bharti Airtel’s financial performance.

Akhil Garg, presently Financial Controller at Bharti Airtel, will take over as Chief Financial Officer for Bharti Airtel India. With nearly 12 years at the company, he has held multiple roles and led several key business initiatives, including the Hexacom IPO. In this role, Akhil will report to Shashwat Sharma and Soumen Ray.

Rohit Puri, who currently serves as Joint Company Secretary and Compliance Officer, will be appointed Company Secretary and Compliance Officer for Bharti Airtel. Pankaj Tewari, the Group Company Secretary, will continue to provide leadership and oversight at the group level.

“I look forward to working alongside Gopal and the team to continue this pursuit as we drive towards our ambition of building the best global telecom company,” Mittal further added.

Bharti Airtel share price

At 9:50 AM, Bharti Airtel shares were trading at ₹2,096 apiece on the National Stock Exchange, rising 0.19%. The stock had surged 1% to intraday high of ₹2,115 in the early session.

In a 6-month period, the telecom major’s shares have jumped 12.5%, while since the beginning of 2025, Airtel shares have rallied 31.5%.

Shares of the firm had hit a 52-week high of ₹2,174.50 on November 21, 2025, and a 52-week low of ₹1,559.50 on February 28, 2025.

The company has a total market capitalisation of ₹12.54 lakh crore, according to data on the NSE.