Airtel to separate D2H and entertainment units, restructuring plans to benefit business
Airtel has appointed Shashwat Sharma as the next Managing Director & CEO, while Gopal Vittal will transition to the role of Executive Vice Chairman. These changes will take effect on January 1, 2026.
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Bharti Airtel recently announced changes to its leadership team, as the telecom company plans to separate its Direct-to-Home (DTH) and entertainment units as part of a new restructuring strategy. Airtel will also establish customer experience as a standalone function.
Airtel has appointed Shashwat Sharma as the next Managing Director & CEO, while Gopal Vittal will transition to the role of Executive Vice Chairman. These changes will take effect on January 1, 2026.
In his role as CEO designate, Sharma will oversee the entire end-to-end consumer business. Vittal will focus on mentoring and preparing Sharma for his transition to MD & CEO of Bharti Airtel Ltd.
According to media reports, Airtel’s restructuring will separate DTH from the converged entertainment category, creating two distinct areas: Connected Homes—which will include Broadband and Converged Entertainment—and DTH.
The Connected Homes division will aim to drive rapid growth and competitiveness, while the DTH unit will focus on achieving world-class efficiency and competitiveness.
Additionally, Airtel will establish Customer Experience as an independent function. Shivan Bhargava will be appointed as the Director of Customer Experience and will lead this unit.
Siddharth Sharma, currently the CEO of DTH, will be appointed Director of Marketing and CEO of Connected Homes. Pushpinder Gujral, currently CEO of the Upper North region, will take on the role of CEO and Director of DTH.
Amit Tripathi, currently the Director of Marketing and Customer Experience, will become Director of Market Operations, overseeing all regional circles and distribution strategy.
