Rakesh Bharti Mittal is the President of Nehru Sidhant Kender Trust and Vice-Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, one of India's leading business conglomerates, with interests spanning telecommunications, digital infrastructure, space communications, financial services and real estate. He is the Managing Director of Bharti Enterprises Limited. Rakesh also serves as Non-Executive Director on the Boards of Indus Towers, Bharti Hexacom and Bharti Life Insurance.
Bharti Airtel, the flagship company of Bharti Enterprises, is a leading global telecommunications company operating across 17 countries in India, South Asia and Africa. Serving over 650 million customers, Airtel is the world's second-largest mobile operator by customer base.
Rakesh has played an active role in advancing India's business and economic agenda. He served as President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) during 2018-19, was the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Sierra Leone in India from 2014 to 2020 and is a member of the India-Israel CEO Forum.
Education and institution-building have remained central to Rakesh's leadership. He serves on the boards and advisory councils of several leading academic institutions, including the Indian School of Business (ISB), the Bharti School of Telecommunication Technology & Management at IIT Delhi, Plaksha University, and other institutions of global repute. He is also a Member of the Managing Society and Governing Board of Dayanand Medical College & Hospital, Ludhiana.
Rakesh also contributes to strengthening India's research and public policy ecosystem through his association with leading think tanks. He is a Member of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), the Founding Circle of the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) and serves on the Advisory Council of the Bharti Institute of Public Policy. As Co-Chairman of the Bharti Airtel Foundation, Rakesh has shaped one of India's leading education-focused philanthropic institutions, impacting over 7.8 million people, including 4.3 million students, through quality education initiatives.
His commitment to education extends beyond the Foundation. He serves as Chairman of the Governing Council of Sat Paul Mittal School, Chairman of Satya School and Founder Chairman of Horizon School of Excellence in Ludhiana, which provides free quality education to children from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. He has been conferred the Honorary Doctorate of Civil Law by Newcastle University, UK, and an Honorary Doctorate in Business Management by XIM University, India. His other notable honours include the Udyog Ratna Award (2023), the Horasis Indian Business Leader of the Year Award (2016), and the Institute of Engineers Award (2004).
