Bharti chairman Sunil Mittal knighted by Britain’s King Charles

Britain’s King Charles III has conferred an honorary knighthood on Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal for advancing India-UK business relations.

Mittal was awarded the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE). The KBE is among the highest honours conferred by the British Sovereign to civilians. It is awarded in an honorary capacity to foreign nationals.

“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” Mittal said in an official statement Wednesday.


He added that he remained committed to working towards strengthening the economic and bilateral trade relationships between our two great nations. “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 had successfully led the revival of UK-based global satellite player OneWeb (now Eutelsat OneWeb), leading a consortium with the British government and other strategic investors to offer satellite broadband services globally.

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

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

He is a member of the Vice Chancellor’s Circle of Advisors at the University of Cambridge.



Telecom czar Mittal has also served on the governing body of the London Business School (LBS) and as a member of the India Advisory Group at London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).




In 2007, The Bharti chairman had been awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours, awarded to individuals for demonstrating distinguished services of high order.