Sunil Bharti Mittal Becomes First Indian To Get Honorary Knighthood From King Charles III

Sunil Bharti Mittal, the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, achieved the distinction of being the first Indian citizen to receive an honorary Knighthood from King Charles III of Britain. The honor was conferred in recognition of Mittal's contributions to fostering business relations between the United Kingdom and India.

In a list of honorary British awards unveiled by the UK Cabinet Office, Mittal receives a KBE under the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – one of the highest honours conferred by a British monarch.

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The 66-year-old entrepreneur said in a statement that he was “deeply humbled” by the gracious recognition from King Charles.

“The UK and India have historical relations, which are now entering a new era of increased cooperation and collaboration. I remain committed to working towards strengthening the economic and bilateral trade relationships between our two great nations,” Mittal said.

“I am thankful to the government of the UK, whose support and keen attention to the needs of business has been critical in making the country an attractive investment destination,” he said.

What Is KBE (Knight of the Order of the British Empire)?

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The KBE, conferred for a pre-eminent contribution in any field of activity, is awarded in an honorary capacity to foreign nationals. While the Knighthood conferred on UK nationals gives them the title of Sir or Dame, non-UK nationals awarded the honour add KBE (or DBE for women) after their name.

Who Are The Other Indians To Have Received The Honor By Queen Elizabeth II?

Previous Indian recipients of the Honorary KBE include Ratan Tata (2009), Ravi Shankar (2001) and Jamshed Irani (1997), conferred by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

When Will The Event Take Place?

The investiture ceremony will be conducted by the British High Commissioner to India at a later date, when he will formally hand over the royal insignia to Mittal.

The honour recognises Bharti Enterprises’ work within the India-UK space, including with the UK government in the field of satellites.

Sunil Bharti Mittal led the revival of OneWeb (now Eutelsat), leading a consortium with the UK government and other strategic investors to offer satellite broadband services globally, a company statement notes.

Mittal’s UK connection

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Mittal maintains a significant association with the UK, serving as a member of the India-UK CEO Forum. Additionally, he has received recognition in the form of an Honorary Doctor of Civil Law from Newcastle University and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Leeds in the past.

He is also a member of the Vice Chancellor’s Circle of Advisors at the University of Cambridge. Additionally, Sunil Bharti Mittal has served on the Governing Body of the London Business School (LBS) and as a Member of the India Advisory Group at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

In 2019, Bharti’s Airtel Africa was listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE100 Index.

Who Is Sunil Bharti Mittal?

Sunil Bharti Mittal is the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, one of India’s foremost first-generation corporations with interests in Telecom, Space Communications, Digital Solutions, Real Estate and Hospitality. Bharti has joint ventures with several global partners like SingTel, SoftBank, Del Monte, the UK and French Government, amongst others.?

?Bharti Airtel, the flagship company of Bharti Enterprises, is a leading telecommunications company with operations in 17 countries and ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and Sub-Saharan Africa’s second-largest mobile operator, serving over half a billion customers across its operations.

(With PTI inputs)