Indian billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal joins BT board

(Sharecast News) - Indian billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal is to join the board of BT Group, the UK telecoms and broadband giant said on Monday. BT said that Mittal, the founder and chair of Bharti Enterprises, and Gopal Vittal, managing director of Bharti Airtel, were joining as non-independent, non-executive directors.

Bharti currently owns a 24.5% stake in the blue chip, having acquired the holding from Patrick Drahi's Altice at the end of 2024. At the time, the stake was worth around £3.2bn, according to Reuters.

Both appointments have been made under the relationship agreement signed between Bharti and BT.

Under the terms, parent company Bharti Global has the right to nominate two directors for as long as it holds a BT interest of at least 20%.

Adam Crozier, BT chair, said Mittal and Vittal brought "significant experience and global perspectives in the telecoms industry", adding: "We look forward to their contribution to the board and future success of BT."

Mittal called BT an "iconic" business. He continued: "I look forward to working with Adam Crozier, the board and chief executive Allison Kirkby to drive forward the strategy to win in the market and deliver world-leading services for BT's customers."

As well Bharti Airtel - one of the world's biggest network provides - Mittal owns stakes in a number of telecoms and tech groups worldwide.