Bharti Airtel announces leadership succession; Soumen Ray elevated to Group CFO
By Axel Miller | 18 Dec 2025
Bharti Airtel, India’s leading telecommunications provider, announced a comprehensive leadership reshuffle today, December 18, 2025, marking the finalization of its long-term succession plan. The changes, effective January 1, 2026, position a new generation of leadership at the helm of the ₹12.6 lakh crore telecom giant.
In a key appointment, Soumen Ray has been named Group Chief Financial Officer. Ray, who has served as the CFO of Airtel India for the past four years, will now oversee the group’s global financial strategy, capital allocation, and investor relations. He will be succeeded as CFO of Bharti Airtel India by Akhil Garg, a 12-year Airtel veteran and the former finance head of the recently listed subsidiary, Bharti Hexacom.
A larger succession blueprint
The CFO appointments are part of a broader transition approved by the board today, designed to ensure a seamless leadership handover:
- Shashwat Sharma, currently the CEO-Designate, will officially take charge as Managing Director and CEO of Bharti Airtel.
- Gopal Vittal, who led the company as CEO for 13 years, will transition into the role of Executive Vice Chairman. Vittal will oversee group-wide synergies in digital technology, network strategy, and procurement.
- Rohit Krishan Puri has also been appointed as Company Secretary and Compliance Officer, following the transition of Pankaj Tewari to a group-level oversight role.
Financial health and market reaction
The reshuffle comes at a time of robust growth. In its Q3 FY25 filing, the company reported a massive 483% surge in net profit to ₹14,760 crore, significantly boosted by the consolidation of Indus Towers.
Despite the leadership changes being viewed as a “continuity play” by analysts, Bharti Airtel’s stock ended slightly lower today at ₹2,092.25 (-0.62%), reflecting broader market volatility as the Nifty 50 faced downward pressure.
Summary
Effective January 1, 2026, Bharti Airtel will undergo a major leadership transition. Soumen Ray becomes Group CFO, while Akhil Garg takes over as India CFO. These moves coincide with Shashwat Sharma becoming the new MD & CEO and Gopal Vittal moving to Executive Vice Chairman. The restructuring ensures financial and operational continuity as Airtel continues its 5G expansion and digital service scaling.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: Who is the new Group CFO? Soumen Ray
has been promoted to Group CFO. He previously spent four years as India CFO.
Q2: Who is the new India CFO?
Akhil Garg, who led the Bharti Hexacom IPO, will take over the India finance portfolio.
Q3: When does Shashwat Sharma take over?
He officially becomes MD & CEO on January 1, 2026.
Q4: Is Gopal Vittal leaving?
No. He is moving to a strategic Executive Vice Chairman role for a five-year term.
Q5: How did the stock react?
The stock dipped 0.62% to close at ₹2,092.25, largely due to a broader market sell-off rather than the leadership news.
Q6: Are these changes final?
he board has approved them, but the appointments of the MD and Executive Vice Chairman remain subject to shareholder approval.