Sunil Mittal, founder of Bharti Enterprises, first Indian to be knighted by Britain’s King Charles III

New Delhi: Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, was awarded an honorary knighthood by the British King for his significant contribution to promoting business relations between the United Kingdom and India.

Mittal, a telecom industry veteran and owner of Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom company, has become the first Indian to receive the prestigious Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) honor from King Charles III, his company said in a statement. Statement.

According to PTI, Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) is considered one of the highest honors bestowed on civilians by the British Sovereign. Mittal, whose Airtel Africa is listed on the London Stock Exchange, has in recent months led the revival of OneWeb (now known as Eutelsat), which is partnering with the UK government and others to provide satellite broadband services globally. A consortium was led with strategic investors.

Mittal is a member of the India-UK CEO Forum as well as a member of the Vice-Chancellor’s Advisory Board at the University of Cambridge. According to PTI, he also served as a member of the governing body of the London Business School (LBS) and the India Advisory Group at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Sunil Mittal was earlier awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2007.

Commenting on the award, Sunil Bharti Mittal, 66, expressed deep humility, saying, “I am deeply humbled by this gracious recognition from His Majesty, King Charles.” He reiterated his unwavering commitment to strengthening economic and bilateral trade ties between the two countries, stressing the important role of the UK government’s support and keen attention to the needs of businesses in making the country an attractive investment destination, PTI reported. Cast light on.

Sunil Bharti Mittal, who was previously awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award, in 2007, highlighted the historic ties between the UK and India, emphasizing the growing collaboration and ushering in a new era of collaboration between the two countries. repeated.

Reflecting on his commitment, he affirmed, “I am committed to working towards strengthening the economic and bilateral trade relations between our two great countries.” According to PTI, the KBE is awarded for outstanding contribution in any field of activity, emphasizing that this prestigious honor is awarded to foreign nationals in an honorary capacity.

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Knighthood awarded to UK citizens gives them the title Sir or Dame, while non-UK citizens awarded this honor add KBE (or DBE for women) to their name. Notable previous Indian recipients of the Honorary KBE include Ratan Tata (2009), Ravi Shankar (2001), and Jamshed Irani (1997), all of whom were awarded the honor by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The Investiture Ceremony for Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Honorary KBE will be hosted by the British High Commissioner to India at a later date, during which the Royal Insignia will be formally presented to Mittal, further cementing his honorary recognition by the British Sovereign.