Sunil Bharti Mittal becomes first Indian to be awarded an Honorary Knighthood from King Charles III

Bharti Enterprises founder and chairman Sunil Mittal on Wednesday became the first Indian citizen to be awarded Honorary Knighthood, the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE), by King Charles III for advancing India – UK business relations.

“I am deeply humbled by this gracious recognition from His Majesty, King Charles. UK and India have historical relations, which are now entering a new era of increased cooperation and collaboration. I remain committed to working towards strengthening the economic and bilateral trade relationships between our two great nations,” Mittal said.

“I am thankful to the Government of UK, whose support and keen attention to the needs of business has been critical in making the country an attractive investment destination,” Mittal said.


Bharti’s Airtel Africa was successfully listed on the London Stock Exchange in 2019, and is a constituent of the FTSE100 Index.

Sunil successfully led the revival of OneWeb (now Eutelsat), leading a consortium with the UK Government and other strategic investors to offer satellite broadband services globally.

Mittal, a member of the India-UK CEO Forum, has been awarded the Honorary Doctor of Civil Law from Newcastle University and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Leeds.

The KBE is one of the highest honours given by the British queen to civilians.

It commonly appears on the Diplomatic Service and Overseas list but can also be given to Britons based abroad or in an honorary capacity to foreign nationals.