Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, has been conferred France’s highest civilian honour, the Legion of Honour, for his exceptional contributions to strengthening economic and strategic ties between India and France.
France Honours Sunil Bharti Mittal
The Ambassador of France to India, Thierry Mathou, conferred the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur (Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour) on Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises. The French government recognised the Indian telecom pioneer for his dedication to expanding Indo-French economic relations and his contributions to telecommunications, digital infrastructure, and satellite communications. The award ceremony took place at the Residence of France on October 28.
The Legion of Honour, established in 1802 by Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, represents the highest civilian distinction granted by the French Republic for exceptional service, irrespective of the recipient’s nationality. The President of the French Republic serves as the Grand Master of the Order.
Bilateral Significance and Strategic Contributions
Speaking at the investiture ceremony, Ambassador Mathou addressed the gathering and detailed the bilateral significance of the recognition. “The conferring of the Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur on Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal comes in recognition of his outstanding contribution in promoting Indo-French economic ties. Not only has Mr Mittal fortified relations with French business through his associations with France’s multinational insurance group AXA as well as telecoms equipment maker Alcatel-Lucent but also supported France’s ambition in achieving strategic independence through his investment in French satellite giant Eutelsat,” Mathou stated.
“This decoration reflects France’s gratitude and admiration for Mr Mittal’s longstanding commitment to deepening business relations and securing strategic engagement with France through foundational partnerships, high-level diplomatic dialogues, and massive investments in the satellite communications sector,” the French envoy added.
Mittal’s Reflection on Decades of Partnership
Accepting the insignia, Mittal reflected on his decades-long commercial engagement with French entities, which dates back to the formative years of India’s cellular industry. “I am moved and humbled by this gracious award from the President of the French Republic. 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, and continues today through my role as Vice-Président of Eutelsat, the European satellite champion,” Mittal said. “I accept this honour with gratitude to President Macron and with a renewed commitment to further deepen the economic ties between India and France,” he added.
As the two countries continue to deepen their cooperation in space and digital technology under the framework of the India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership, Mr Bharti, as Vice-Chairman of Eutelsat, the European satellite champion, remains a key figure in Indo-French bilateral ties. Mittal is set to attend the Choose France Summit for the fourth time. Bharti Enterprises, which Mittal founded in 1976, holds interests across telecom, digital infrastructure, financial services, and space communications. Its flagship arm, Bharti Airtel, operates across 17 countries, while Bharti stands as the largest private shareholder in Paris-headquartered Eutelsat and the United Kingdom’s BT Group Plc.
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