Bharti Airtel subsidiary, Airtel Payments Bank has announced a leadership transition, with Sunil Bharti Mittal set to conclude his tenure as Non-Executive Chairman and step down from the Board effective September 30, 2026.
Shabnam Sinha will assume the role of Chairperson for a three-year term beginning October 1, 2026, following her appointment by the Board and approval by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Commenting on her appointment, Sinha said she looked forward to working with the Board and management team to build on the bank’s momentum, drive its next phase of growth and expand its impact for customers, partners and communities.
Sinha currently serves as an Independent Director on the Board of Airtel Payments Bank. She chairs the Special Committee of the Board for Monitoring Frauds and is a member of the Risk Management and IT Committees.
As per a press release, company said that Sinha brings over three decades of leadership and board experience across development finance, financial services, public policy and institutional transformation.
Her career includes the World Bank, where she advised governments and institutions across Asia, Africa and Europe on governance, risk management and operational effectiveness.
Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, was appointed Non-Executive Chairman of Airtel Payments Bank in April 2016. The bank said that under his leadership, it grew to become India’s largest payments bank by revenue, with a presence across consumer and enterprise businesses.
Commenting on the transition, Mittal said it had been a privilege to serve as chairman and expressed confidence that Sinha would build on the bank’s foundation and strengthen its position as a digital banking platform.
The bank said that it currently serves over 121 million monthly active users and nearly 30 million bank account customers through the Airtel Thanks App and a network of over 500,000 banking points.
It said the network reaches three out of four villages across India. The bank has also emerged as the country’s second-largest mobile bank and UPI Autopay player.
Bharti Airtel shares closed at ₹1,975 on Monday, down 0.86% or ₹17.10 from the previous close.
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