Key Takeaways:
- Mittal plans to hand Airtel control to his children by 2031-2036.
- Promoter firm Bharti Telecom aims to regain a 51% controlling stake.
- Airtel approved a ₹28,220 crore share swap to raise its Africa stake to 79%.
Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said he plans to hand over control of the telecom company to the next generation within a decade while aiming to restore promoter firm Bharti Telecom’s stake to more than 50 per cent.
Mittal Outlines Succession Roadmap
Mittal disclosed the succession plan during Bharti Airtel’s FY26 earnings call on Wednesday, marking a rare appearance by the billionaire entrepreneur on an analyst call.
“My own wish is that in the next decade, as I come to a point where I hand over the reins to the next generation as shareholders, Bharti Telecom should get back to controlling shareholding of 51 percent or just over 50 percent,” Mittal said.
Bharti Telecom, jointly owned by the Mittal family and Singapore-based Singtel, currently holds a 40.47 percent stake in Bharti Airtel. Promoter entities, including Bharti Telecom, Indian Continent Investment and Singtel Group firm Pastel, together own 48.87 percent of Airtel.
Mittal’s current term as chairman was recently extended by five years through Sept. 30, 2031.
Airtel Eyes Higher Promoter Stake
Sunil Bharti Mittal said Bharti Telecom could increase its stake over the next three to four years, depending on Airtel’s operational performance and cash generation.
Singtel directly owns about 7 percent of Airtel. Mittal said the gap required to reach the targeted 51 percent promoter holding would narrow to 3.6 percent after ongoing transactions are completed.
“We should see an overall gap dramatically reducing,” Sunil Bharti Mittal said, adding that Singtel would need to sell fewer shares than previously expected.
He said stronger cash flows, share buybacks and higher dividends could help Bharti Telecom gradually raise its stake. Airtel executives managing day-to-day operations would play a key role in achieving those targets, he added.
Bharti Telecom itself is controlled by Bharti Enterprises Holdings, which owns 50.56 percent, while Singtel holds the remaining 49.44 percent.
Airtel Africa Expansion Remains Priority
Sunil Bharti Mittal also said Airtel should continue increasing its holding in Airtel Africa, targeting ownership levels closer to 90 percent if regulations permit.
The Airtel board on Wednesday approved raising its stake in Airtel Africa by 16.31 percent through a share swap deal valued at Rs 28,220 crore. The move would increase Airtel’s holding to about 79 per cent from 62.73 per cent.
“The UK regulations allow you to go up to 90 percent. With this move, we have gone up to 78 percent. Ambition for Airtel should be whatever is allowed to go up to 90 percent,” Sunil Bharti Mittal said.
He said a larger stake in Airtel Africa would allow more income to flow back to Bharti Airtel and improve shareholder returns over time.
Separately, Bharti Airtel reported a 33.5 percent decline in consolidated net profit for the March 2026 quarter to Rs 7,325 crore, citing one-time provisions related to statutory and tax liabilities.
Despite the drop in profit, Airtel’s annual revenue crossed Rs 2 lakh crore for the first time. The company said growth was driven by a 3.2 percent rise in customer base to 66.5 crore users and higher average revenue per user in India.
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