Sunil Bharti Mittal Named Chevalier of France's Legion of Honour by President Emmanuel Macron

Key facts

• Bharti Airtel founder and chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal was named a Chevalier de l'Ordre national de la Légion d'Honneur (Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour) by French President Emmanuel Macron.
• The insignia will be conferred at a ceremony on 28 October 2026 at the Embassy of France in New Delhi.
• The honour recognises Mittal's contributions to strengthening economic ties between France and India and his achievements in telecommunications, digital infrastructure and satellite communications.
• Mittal's association with France began in 1992 when Compagnie Générale des Eaux partnered with Bharti to introduce mobile telephony in India, and he currently serves as Co-Chairman of Eutelsat.
• Mittal served as Chairman of the International Chamber of Commerce from 2016 to 2018 and as its honorary chairman from 2018 to 2020.
• In 2024, Mittal became the first Indian to receive the honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire from King Charles III, and he was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2007.
• Bharti Enterprises became the largest private shareholder in Eutelsat in November 2025 with a 17.88% holding.