New Delhi: Sunil Bharti Mittal, the Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, was conferred an Honorary Knighthood by the British King in recognition of his significant contributions to fostering business relations between the United Kingdom and India.
Mittal, tycoon of telecom industry and the owner of India’s second-largest telecom firm Airtel, becomes the first Indian to receive the prestigious Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) accolade from King Charles III, his company said in a statement.
According to PTI, the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) is regarded as one of the highest honors by the British Sovereign to civilians. Mittal, whose Airtel Africa is listed on the London Stock Exchange, in recent months led the revival of OneWeb (now known as Eutelsat), leading a consortium with the UK Government and other strategic investors to offer satellite broadband services globally.
Mittal is also a member of the India-UK CEO Forum as well as a member of the Vice Chancellor’s Circle of Advisors at the University of Cambridge. He also 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), as per PTI.
Sunil Mittal, Previously Honored With The Padma Bhushan In 2007
Commenting on the award, 66-year-old Sunil Bharti Mittal expressed profound humility, stating, “I am deeply humbled by this gracious recognition from His Majesty, King Charles.” He reiterated his unwavering commitment to bolstering economic and bilateral trade relationships between the two nations, highlighting the critical role of the UK Government’s support and keen attention to the needs of businesses in making the country an attractive investment destination, reported PTI.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, who was previously honored with the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian award in 2007, reiterated the historical ties between the UK and India while emphasizing the dawn of a new era of heightened cooperation and collaboration between the two nations.
Reflecting on his commitment, he affirmed, “I remain committed to working towards strengthening the economic and bilateral trade relationships between our two great nations.” The KBE, conferred for pre-eminent contributions in any field of activity, emphasizing that this prestigious accolade is awarded in an honorary capacity to foreign nationals, as per PTI.
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The Knighthood bestowed upon UK nationals bestows upon them the title of Sir or Dame, while non-UK nationals honored with the distinction add KBE (or DBE for women) after 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 conferred this honor by the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The investiture ceremony for Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Honorary KBE will be conducted 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 esteemed recognition by the British Sovereign.