Sunil Mittal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sunil Mittal
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Sunil Mittal in 2024
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| Born | 23 October 1957 |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | Punjab University |
| Occupation | Industrialist Philanthropist |
| Title | Founder & chairman Bharti Enterprises |
| Spouse(s) | Nyna Mittal |
| Children | 3 (incl. Kavin Bharti Mittal) |
| Parent(s) | Sat Pal Mittal (father) |
| Relatives | Sharan Pasricha (son-in-law) |
| Awards | Padma Bhusan Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire |
Sunil Bharti Mittal (born 23 October 1957) is a famous Indian businessman and a kind-hearted person who helps others. He is the founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises. This big company works in many different areas like phones, insurance, real estate, and education.
The main company of Bharti Enterprises is Bharti Airtel. It is one of the largest phone companies in the world and the biggest in India. It serves customers in 18 countries across Asia and Africa. In 2023, Forbes magazine said he was the 10th richest person in India.
In 2007, Sunil Mittal received the Padma Bhushan. This is one of India's highest awards for civilians. In 2016, he became the Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Sunil Bharti Mittal was born in Ludhiana, Punjab. His father, Sat Paul Mittal, was a Member of Parliament. Sunil went to school at Wynberg Allen School in Mussoorie and later at Scindia School in Gwalior. He finished his college studies in 1976 at Panjab University, Chandigarh.
Starting His Businesses
Sunil Mittal started his first business when he was just 18 years old in 1976. He borrowed money from his father to begin. His first idea was to make parts for bicycles.
In 1980, he and his brothers started a company called Bharti Overseas Trading Company. He sold his old factories and moved to Mumbai. In 1981, he started importing portable electric generators from Japan. But then, the Indian government suddenly stopped allowing these generators to be imported. This meant his business had to change quickly.
The Rise of Telecom
In 1984, Sunil Mittal saw a new chance. He noticed that push-button phones were popular in Taiwan. India still used old-fashioned rotary phones. He decided to start making push-button phones in India. His company, Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL), worked with Siemens of Germany to make these phones. By the early 1990s, he was also making fax machines and cordless phones. He named his first push-button phones 'Mitbrau'.
In 1992, he won a license to start a mobile phone network in India. This was a big step! He teamed up with a French company called Vivendi. In 1995, he launched mobile phone services in Delhi under the brand name AirTel. In just a few years, Bharti became the first phone company in India to have over 2 million mobile customers.
Expanding Globally
Sunil Mittal continued to expand his company. In 2010, Bharti acquired the African business of Zain Telecom. This was a huge deal and made Bharti one of the largest phone companies in Africa.
In 2012, Bharti partnered with Wal-Mart, a big retail company from the US. They planned to open many retail stores across India.
In 2015, Sunil Mittal joined the board of OneWeb, a company that provides internet from space. He was one of the investors in this exciting new project. He also made changes at Bharti Airtel to help it compete in the fast-growing Indian telecom market. In 2017, he announced that Bharti Airtel would remove charges for calls within India and international roaming charges. This was a big win for customers!
Giving Back to Society
Sunil Mittal is also very active in helping people through the Bharti Foundation. This foundation is the part of Bharti Enterprises that focuses on charity.
The Bharti Foundation builds schools in villages across India. These schools offer free, good quality education to poor children. They also provide free books, uniforms, and meals. The 'Satya Bharti School Program' runs 254 schools in six states, helping over 45,000 rural children. Other programs help over 350,000 children in 11 states. The foundation also works on improving sanitation in villages.
In 2017, the Bharti Family promised to give 10% of their wealth (about 70 billion Indian Rupees) to charity. They plan to build the Satya Bharti University. This university will offer world-class education to young people who need financial help.
Sunil Mittal is married to Nyna Mittal, who also helps with charity work, especially in education. They have three children: a daughter named Eiesha and twin sons, Kavin Bharti Mittal and Shravin Bharti Mittal. Both sons are also successful entrepreneurs.
Awards and Special Recognition
Sunil Mittal has received many awards for his work and contributions:
- Padma Bhushan from the Government of India, 2007
- GSM Association's Chairman's Award, 2008
- Asia Businessman of the Year from Fortune Magazine, 2006
- Philanthropist of the Year Award from The Asian Awards, 2010
- Honoris Causa Doctorate of Sciences (D.Sc.) Degree from Amity University Gurgaon, 2016
- Appointed Honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 2024, for helping strengthen business ties between India and the UK.
Important Roles and Groups
Sunil Mittal has held many important positions in different organizations around the world:
- Chairman of the GSM Association, 2017–19
- Honorary Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC)
- Member of the Telecom Board of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- Chair of the World Economic Forum's Telecommunications Steering Committee
- Member of the International Business Council, World Economic Forum
- Member of the Board of Directors for SoftBank Corp. (2011–2013)
- President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) (2007–2008)
Academic Connections
He is also involved with several top universities:
- Member of the Global Advisory Council, Harvard University
- Member of the Vice Chancellor’s Circle of Advisors on India, University of Cambridge
- Member of the Board of Dean Advisors, Harvard Business School (2010 – 2019)
Global Trade Efforts
Sunil Mittal has played a role in global trade discussions:
- Co-Chair of the Trade & Investment Development Task Force, B20 Argentina (2018)
- Co-Chair of the Trade & Investment Development Task Force, B20 Germany (2017)
