Bharti Airtel's planned restructuring and leadership change are unlikely to be "very disruptive" and will be backed by the telco’s strong credentials, as the peak of competitive intensity has passed, analysts noted.
Starting January 2026, current CEO Gopal Vittal will assume the role of Executive Vice Chairman, while current COO Shashwat Sharma will step in as CEO.
“With Vittal involved over the next 12-plus months to ensure a gradual and smooth transition, we don’t expect this change to be highly disruptive. Bharti’s strong established credentials and our view that the peak of competitive intensity is behind us support this outlook,” brokerage Citi noted.
In a separate note, Goldman Sachs said that Vittal’s continued presence along with a transition period of over a year should facilitate a seamless transfer of roles and responsibilities.
However, Goldman Sachs added that the announcement may prompt investors to question potential impacts on company strategy given the strong execution track record of the current leadership at Bharti Airtel.
“The current management team, led by Vittal, has demonstrated strong execution, driving consistent revenue market share gains and prudent capital allocation. Past investor conversations indicated that any leadership change could raise questions around its potential impact on strategy,” Goldman Sachs stated.
Analysts are encouraged by Sharma’s six-year tenure with Airtel and senior leadership experience, along with a 14-month transition period for a smooth role transfer.
Effective immediately, Sharma, as CEO designate, will oversee the consumer business, including mobility, home, and DTH, while Vittal will continue managing enterprise and HR functions. When Sharma officially becomes CEO in January 2026, he will take charge of both consumer and enterprise operations.
Additionally, Vittal has now assumed the managing director and vice chairman role, with responsibilities for mentoring Sharma.
The Sunil Mittal-led telco is making further changes under its planned restructuring, effective April 1, 2025. Airtel will decouple DTH from the converged entertainment category, creating two separate categories: Connected Homes (which will include broadband and converged entertainment) and DTH. While Connected Homes will focus on rapid growth and competitiveness, DTH will target world-class efficiency.
As part of the restructuring, Airtel will also establish Customer Experience as a standalone function, with Shivan Bhargava appointed as director of this area.
Siddharth Sharma, currently CEO of DTH, will be appointed Director of Marketing and CEO of Connected Homes, while Pushpinder Gujral, currently CEO of Upper North, will become CEO and Director of DTH.
Amit Tripathi, Director of Marketing and Customer Experience, will move into the role of Director of Market Operations, overseeing circles and distribution strategy.
Tripathi, Siddharth Sharma, Gujral, and Bhargava will report to Shashwat Sharma by April 1, 2025. Meanwhile, top executives Sharat Sinha, Randeep Sekhon, Soumen Ray, Pankaj Miglani, Pradipt Kapoor, Amrita Padda, Rahul Vatts, Vidyut Gulati, and OP Galhotra will continue reporting to Vittal.
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