Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, has been 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. According to reports from PTI, NDTV Profit, ANI, and ETTelecom, the insignia will be conferred at the Embassy of France in New Delhi on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The Legion of Honour, founded in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, is France's highest civilian award with approximately 79,000 members and recognises service to France and exceptional contributions in fields such as business, culture and science. On receiving the honour, Mittal expressed his deep gratitude, stating 'I am moved and humbled by this gracious award from the Republic of France. My association with France began at Airtel's inception in 1992, when Compagnie Générale des Eaux joined hands with Bharti to introduce mobile telephony in India. It continues today through my role as Co-Chairman of Eutelsat, the European satellite champion. I accept this honour with gratitude to the President of the French Republic, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron and with a renewed commitment to further deepen the economic ties between India and France'. The award recognises his longstanding commitment to deepening economic ties between India and France, and his achievements in telecommunications and digital infrastructure.
France has cited Sunil Mittal's long-standing work to deepen economic ties with India and his achievements in telecommunications and digital infrastructure as key factors for the recognition. As reported by PTI, NDTV Profit, ANI, and ETTelecom, French Ambassador Thierry Mathou highlighted Mittal's decades-long engagement, stating that 'Sunil Bharti Mittal has been a friend of France for more than thirty years, since the early days of Airtel in 1992'. The French connection dates back to 1992, when Compagnie Générale des Eaux, through Société Française du Radiotéléphone (SFR), was a consortium partner in the venture that launched Airtel. Since then, Bharti has partnered with AXA in life insurance and with Alcatel-Lucent. Mittal also chaired the Paris-based International Chamber of Commerce from 2016 to 2018, serving as its Honorary Chairman from 2018 to 2020. His academic recognitions include a Doctor Honoris Causa from ESCP Business School, Paris, and INSEAD's Business Leader for the World Award.
Today, the connection extends to space technology through Mittal's role as Co-Chairman of Eutelsat, the Paris-headquartered satellite operator. According to PTI, NDTV Profit, ANI, and ETTelecom, in 2020, he led the consortium that revived OneWeb, which combined with Eutelsat in 2023. The merged company operates both geostationary satellites and a low-Earth-orbit constellation, creating the world's first fully integrated GEO-LEO satellite operator. In November 2025, the French State invested €551 million and became Eutelsat's largest shareholder with a 29.65% stake. Bharti Space Limited also participated and holds the largest private shareholder position with 17.88%. Mittal's longstanding associations with French and European institutions include serving as a member of INSEAD's Global India Council and on the International Advisory Committee to the Board of Directors of NYSE Euronext, which included Euronext Paris.
Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum on Wednesday, October 14, Mittal provided updates on satellite broadband developments in India, stating that 'We are all awaiting approvals; applied five years back; satellites hovering over India for the past few years'. As reported by ET Now, Mittal described satellite broadband as a work in progress, highlighting the prolonged wait for regulatory approvals despite applications having been submitted five years ago and satellites already being positioned over India. He expressed his preference for receiving a licence ahead of Elon Musk's Starlink, stating 'We will be happy to get a license few days before Starlink'. However, Mittal did not provide a specific timeline for when the pending approvals could be granted or when satellite broadband services would become operational. Beyond satellite communications, Mittal identified sovereign cloud infrastructure as the next major focus area for Bharti, with Airtel working to establish sovereign cloud infrastructure in India.
French Ambassador Thierry Mathou highlighted the significance of these developments, stating that the two countries are 'moving forward jointly in space and digital technology'. As reported by PTI, NDTV Profit, ANI, and ETTelecom, Mathou noted that 'in awarding him the Legion d'honneur, the President of the Republic recognises an outstanding business leader who has contributed to making France a lasting partner in India'. This recognition puts the spotlight on India-France business ties, spanning from Airtel's 1992 launch to the current satellite partnerships and digital infrastructure achievements. Mittal's flagship company, Bharti Airtel, is the world's second-largest mobile operator by customer base, serving over 650 million subscribers, with a presence in India, South Asia and Africa. His role as Vice-Chairman of Eutelsat, the European satellite champion, continues this strategic partnership. Mittal also expressed confidence about Bharti's prospects in India's financial services sector and indicated an interest in expanding telecom operations in other countries.
The Legion of Honour recognition adds to Mittal's existing international honours, including the Padma Bhushan awarded in 2007 and the Honorary Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in 2024, making him the first Indian citizen to be honoured as a Knight Commander of the British Empire by King Charles III. As reported by PTI, NDTV Profit, ANI, and ETTelecom, Mittal expressed his gratitude for the bilateral partnership, noting that 'my association with France began at Airtel's inception in 1992, when Compagnie Generale des Eaux joined hands with Bharti to introduce mobile telephony in India'. Bharti Enterprises, founded by Mittal in 1976, has transformed from a small manufacturing enterprise into one of India's most significant global businesses with interests across telecommunications, digital infrastructure, space communications, financial services, real estate, hospitality and philanthropy. Mittal also highlighted the growing influence of India's startup ecosystem, noting that startups now have a significant voice in the country.
