Airtel Appoints P K Sinha, Shyamal Mukherjee As Independent Directors

Telecom operator Bharti Airtel on Tuesday announced the appointment of former cabinet secretary P K Sinha, and former PwC India head Shyamal Mukherjee as independent directors on its board.

The appointments are subject to approval by shareholders at Airtel's upcoming Annual General Meeting, the company said in a regulatory filing.

PK Sinha served as the cabinet secretary for more than four years before moving to the Prime Minister's Office. He retired from there in March 2021.

He has been a government nominee director in numerous major public sector undertakings and is well versed with the principles of healthy corporate governance, Airtel said.

Shyamal Mukherjee is the former Chairman and Senior Partner of PwC India and was at the forefront of making PwC a future-ready firm.

Mukherjee began his professional journey with PWC in 1984 and became a partner in 1993. He held several leadership roles at PwC India, including Brand and Strategy leader and Leader of India Tax practice. He also serves as an Independent Director on the board of ITC Ltd and a member of its audit committee.

The company added that Manish Kejriwal, Lead Independent Director, would be retiring on September 25, 2022, on completion of his second tenure.

Shishir Priyadarshi would be leaving the board with effect from October 31, 2022, to devote time to his other professional commitments.

D K Mittal would be designated as Lead Independent Director with effect from September 26, 2022, the company said.

Commenting on the appointments, Sunil Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Airtel said: "Airtel takes pride in having one of the most distinguished Board of Directors that is committed to high standards of corporate governance."

These appointments are made with a long-term view - to make the board future-ready, address the long-term requirements of the company and ensure a smooth transition in keyboard positions, he added.

"On behalf of the Board, I welcome PK Sinha and Shyamal Mukherjee and their valuable experience will add immense value to Airtel's growth journey," Mittal further said.