Sunil Bharti Mittal becomes first Indian to get honorary Knighthood from King Charles III

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

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,” PTI quoted Mittal as saying. 

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“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.

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.

According to details, the KBE is awarded in an honorary capacity to foreign nationals. The Knighthood conferred on UK nationals gives them the title of Sir or Dame, while the non-UK nationals are awarded the honor add KBE (or DBE for women) after their name.

The British High Commissioner to India will conduct the investiture ceremony 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.

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.

Considering Mittal’s strong connection with the UK, he is a member of the India-UK CEO Forum and has previously been awarded the Honorary Doctor of Civil Law from Newcastle University and an Honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Leeds.

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.

With agency inputs.

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Published: 28 Feb 2024, 05:13 PM IST