• Sunil Bharti Mittal to step down as chairman in July
• Gopal Vittal appointed to lead as part of planned succession
• Transition comes amid rapid growth in data and mobile money services

Airtel Africa announced on March 25 that its chairman, Sunil Bharti Mittal, will step down in July. He will be succeeded by Gopal Vittal, a senior executive at parent company Bharti Airtel and current chairman of the GSMA.

“Airtel Africa has a strong strategy and an exceptional leadership team, whose strength is clearly reflected in recent results. I believe this is the right time for me to step down as chairman,” Mittal said.

The appointment is part of a succession plan designed to ensure a smooth leadership transition. It comes at a time when Africa’s telecommunications sector is undergoing rapid change, driven by the expansion of data services, mobile money, and broader digital usage.

In its statement, Airtel Africa described Vittal as “a proven leader in the telecommunications industry who helped Bharti Airtel achieve its highest revenue market share in a highly competitive environment.”

Mittal’s departure marks the end of a chapter after years of leading the group’s expansion and consolidation across Africa. At the same time, Shravin Bharti Mittal has been named vice chairman, reinforcing continuity with the group’s main shareholder.

Born in 1967, Gopal Vittal completed his secondary education at Rishi Valley School in Andhra Pradesh, before earning an undergraduate degree from Madras Christian College and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta.

He first joined Bharti Airtel between 2006 and 2008, before returning in 2013 to lead special projects and international strategy. He later became CEO of Airtel India and currently serves as executive vice chairman of Bharti Airtel Limited, after previously holding roles as vice chairman and managing director.

Adoni Conrad Quenum