Airtel Africa on Wednesday said Sunil Bharti Mittal will retire as chairman of the board at the conclusion of the company’s AGM in July 2026, signalling a change of guards.

Gopal Vittal, who is the executive vice-chairman of Bharti Airtel, has been appointed as the non-executive chairman with effect from the same date, while Shravin Bharti Mittal, son of Sunil Mittal, will assume the role of deputy chair.

Shravin Mittal’s taking charge as deputy chair will ensure continuity with the founding family and significant shareholder in Airtel Africa, which provides telecommunications and mobile money services in 14 countries across Africa, Airtel Africa said in a statement. Sunil Mittal has served as chair since listing in 2019.

“As deputy chair, Mittal will ensure continuity with the founding family and significant shareholder, and will be the board’s conduit with the Airtel Money board, on which he serves, and with Airtel Africa’s headquarters in Dubai, where he is based,” according to the statement.

None of the Sunil Mittal’s children are yet on the board of Bharti Airtel, India’s second largest telecom operator.

Airtel Africa also observed that Vittal’s appointment is by nomination of the controlling shareholder pursuant to the terms of the relationship agreement dated June 17, 2019 between the company, Bharti Airtel, Airtel Africa Mauritius, the majority shareholder and an indirect subsidiary of Airtel, and Bharti Telecom.

Vittal is an established telecom leader who led Bharti Airtel to a life-time high revenue market share in an intensely competitive market and is the current board chair of the GSMA, it added.

He was appointed a non-executive director of Airtel Africa in October 2024.

“The board acknowledges that Vittal will not be independent on appointment for the purposes of the UK corporate governance code,” the statement added.

Commenting on his journey, Sunil Mittal said, “So I am confident that now is the time for me to step aside as chair. It has been an honour to lead Airtel Africa in this capacity, and I know the company will continue to prosper and to advance the transformative power of connectivity to the millions of customers we serve across 14 African countries,” the telecom industry stalwart said.