India’s leading telecom operator Bharti Enterprises today announced restructuring at the corporate level under which Manoj Kohli will take over the post of joint managing director in Bharti Airtel-the company which looks after the telecom business. He will also become a director in the telecom company. Kohli earlier was the president and CEO of Bharti Airtel. .
Akhil Gupta who was holding the post of joint managing director in Bharti Airtel will now shift to running the company's new tower infrastructure business in Bharti Infratel where he will now be the vice chairman apart from looking after the financial services(Bharti-Axa under which are the insurance and mutual fund business) and the software business(Bharti Telesoft). Gupta will also play a key role in the company's holding company Bharti Enterprises were he has been elevated from managing director only to deputy group CEO and managing director.
The group has also created a structured chairman office (Sunil Mittal who is also the CEO ) which will now comprise his brothers Rakesh Bharti Mittal and Rajan Bharti Mittal as vice chairman and managing directors of Bharti Enterprises. .While Rakesh Mittal will also be the co-chairman of Bharti Foundation and enhance focus on social projects, Rajan Mittal will now focus on retail, cash and carry and realty. Further, the office of the Chairman and CEO will be supported by three Directors namely, Director, Chairman’s office; Director, Corporate Affairs and Director, Shareholder’s office. These directors have been further empowered to enable them to co-shape all the businesses of Bharti.
Commenting of the new structure of the top managment, Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman and group CEO, Bharti said, “We are strengthening the Bharti organization structure and the governance model that will take us further on the path to building one of the most admired conglomerates in India. With the new structure, we will engage functionally with our emerging businesses at a deeper level, empower the developed businesses, strengthen the interface mechanisms of Bharti with the businesses and leverage the group functions effectively.”
Commenting on his appointment, Manoj Kohli, CEO and Joint Managing Director, Bharti Airtel said, “My focus will be to pursue growth strategies to achieve superior market leadership, while building a strong leadership funnel, enhancing the performance culture and retaining the agility of a small company. Importantly, achieving the vision of being the most admired brand in India by 2010 will be top of my agenda".