Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, has been conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Business Administration by the University of Bath, United Kingdom.
The honour, awarded during the university’s summer graduation ceremony at Bath Abbey, celebrates Sunil Mittal’s outstanding contributions to global business, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.
Recognized as a trailblazer in the Indian telecom sector, Sunil Mittal has played a transformative role in shaping the global communications industry through Bharti Airtel, one of the world’s leading telecom companies. His leadership spans across telecom, digital infrastructure, financial services, and space communications, guided by a commitment to equitable access to education and opportunity.
Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath, lauded Sunil Mittal’s business achievements and humanitarian efforts, which have positively impacted over 3.7 million children through education and rural development programs. The honour also celebrates Sunil Mittal’s close family ties with the university, where both his son and daughter are alumni.
In his acceptance remarks, Sunil Mittal expressed gratitude for the recognition and reaffirmed his commitment to India–UK collaboration in industry and academia. He emphasized the transformative power of education and its role in community upliftment and national development.
This marks Sunil Mittal’s ninth honorary doctorate and third from a UK institution, following previous honours from the University of Leeds (2009) and Newcastle University (2012). He has been deeply engaged with academic institutions worldwide, holding key advisory and governance roles at Harvard, Cambridge, London Business School, INSEAD, IIT Bombay, IIMs, ISB, and Plaksha University.
The recognition highlights not only Sunil Mittal’s global leadership but also the strengthening ties between India and the UK in innovation, enterprise, and higher education. Bharti Enterprises continues to champion international partnerships rooted in shared values and transformative impact.
