Shabnam Sinha appointed chairperson of Airtel Payments Bank as Sunil Mittal steps down

Sinha will take on a three-year term starting October 1, 2026, pending Board appointment and RBI approval, the company announced

Sunil Mittal to step down as Airtel Payments Bank chair Shabnam Sinha to take over

New Delhi: Airtel Payments Bank has appointed Shabnam Sinha as its new chairperson for a three-year term beginning October 1, 2026.She will succeed Sunil Bharti Mittal, who will complete his tenure as non-executive chairman and step down from the bank’s board on September 30, 2026.The appointment has been approved by the Reserve Bank of India and the board of Airtel Payments Bank, according to an exchange filing by Bharti Airtel.Mittal’s TenureMittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, was appointed non-executive chairman of Airtel Payments Bank in April 2016.During his tenure, the lender became India’s largest payments bank by revenue and expanded its consumer and enterprise businesses.The bank currently serves more than 121 million monthly active users and nearly 30 million bank account customers. Its services are available through the Airtel Thanks app and more than 500,000 banking points across India.The network reaches three out of every four villages in the country. The bank has also emerged as India’s second-largest mobile bank and UPI Autopay player, the filing said.One in five of its rural banking points is operated by women banking correspondents. Bharti Group Chairman Sunil Mittal Backs ‘One Nation, One Election’, Says Frequent Polls Disrupt Economy And GrowthExperienced BankerSinha is currently an independent director on the board of Airtel Payments Bank. She chairs the board’s special committee for monitoring fraud and is also a member of its risk management and information technology committees.She has more than three decades of experience in development finance, financial services, public policy and institutional transformation.Sinha previously worked with the World Bank, where she advised governments and institutions across Asia, Africa and Europe on governance, risk management and operational effectiveness.She said her focus would be on maintaining the bank’s growth, widening its reach and strengthening its contribution to financial inclusion through technology-led services.Disclaimer: This article is based on information disclosed by Bharti Airtel in its exchange filing and accompanying official press release.

Shabnam Sinha is set to take over as chairperson of Airtel Payments Bank starting October 1. With Sunil Bharti Mittal concluding his term as non-executive chairman on September 30, 2026, Sinha's appointment is timely. As an independent director with profound leadership credentials, she intends to leverage the bank's substantial growth and enhance digital banking access throughout India, reinforcing its commitment to innovation and expansion.

Leadership transition marks end of Sunil Mittal's decade-long tenure at the payments bank.