ET Awards: Bharti Airtel CEO Shashwat Sharma on company’s resilience and growth through industry upheavals

Few Indian companies have demonstrated the consistency, resilience, and execution excellence that Bharti Airtel has shown over the past nearly four decades. A global telecom company and India's third-largest listed company by market value, Airtel has not only weathered the challenges of India's tightly regulated telecom sector but also emerged stronger through successive waves of industry consolidation.

Airtel currently has about 40% market share with industry-leading average revenue per user (ARPU) at ₹259 and operations in about 16 countries overseas. Revenue grew at 14% compounded annually between FY22 and FY25 to ₹1.7 lakh crore. Net profit surged by 99% annually to ₹33,556 crore during the period.

From the 2G spectrum saga in 2008, to the bruising tariff wars of 2016 and the Supreme Court's 2019 ruling on AGR dues, Bharti Airtel has repeatedly navigated industry upheavals, demonstrating resilience and agility.


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"When we look back, 2019 looks like yesterday when we were fighting for survival," said Shashwat Sharma, the newly appointed chief executive of Airtel, while receiving the award.

"And from that day to this day, where we have this award, as the best company of the year, it's been a journey," he said. "It's been a journey that tells us that we're doing something right, with our business, with our customers and our people."

The telco has weathered regulatory shocks, intense price competition, and balance sheet pressures, while continuing to invest in networks, strengthen its digital portfolio, and retain its position as one of India's leading telecom operators.