London, United Kingdom — BT Group, one of the world’s leading telecommunications companies, has announced the appointment of Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Airtel, and another director to its board, strengthening ties between the two telecom giants.
Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in global telecommunications. Under his leadership, Airtel has grown into one of the largest mobile operators in Africa and Asia, serving over 500 million customers across multiple markets.
BT Group confirmed that Mittal and a second Airtel representative will take up board positions as part of its strategic partnership with Bharti Airtel. The move is expected to deepen collaboration between the two companies in areas such as mobile services, enterprise solutions, digital infrastructure, and technology innovation.
In a statement, BT Group said the appointments reflect the growing importance of emerging markets to its global strategy. “Sunil Bharti Mittal brings decades of experience in building and scaling telecom operations across diverse geographies. His insight will be invaluable to the board as BT continues to expand its global footprint,” the company noted.
Industry analysts say the development underscores Airtel’s increasing influence on the global stage and highlights the long-standing cooperation between Airtel and BT, particularly in enterprise services and technology sharing.
Mittal, commenting on the appointment, said he was honoured to join the BT Group board and looked forward to contributing to its growth strategy. “Telecommunications is at the heart of digital transformation worldwide. Together, BT and Airtel are well-positioned to shape the future of connectivity across both developed and emerging markets,” he said.
The appointments are expected to strengthen BT’s governance structure with diverse perspectives while giving Airtel greater visibility in the global telecom ecosystem.
