2. PERSONAL LIFE :
Sunil Bharti Mittal (born 23 October 1957) is an Indian billionaire entrepreneur,
philanthropist and the founder and chairperson of Bharti Enterprises, which has
diversified interests in telecom, insurance, real estate, education, malls, hospitality,
Agriculture and food besides other ventures. Sunil Bharti Mittal was born in
a Punjabi Agrawal family. His father, Sat Paul Mittal, had been the Member of
Parliament, Rajya Sabha (Indian National Congress) from Ludhiana, Punjab, he was
elected from Punjab for two terms (1976 & 1982) and nominated to the Rajya Sabha once
(1988). He first joined the Wynberg Allen School in Mussoorie, but later attended Scindia
School at Gwalior and he graduated in 1976 from Punjab University, Chandigarh, with a
Bachelor of Arts and Science for which he studied in Arya college , Ludhiana. His father
died of cardiac arrest in 1992.
3. Entrepreneurial ventures
A first-generation entrepreneur, Sunil started his first business in April 1976 at the age of
18, with a capital investment of ₹20,000 (US$250) borrowed from his father. His first
business was to make crankshafts for local bicycle manufacturers.
In 1980, he along with his brothers Rakesh Mittal and Rajan Mittal started an Import
Enterprise named Bharti Overseas Trading Company. He sold his bicycle parts and yarn
factories and moved to Mumbai. In 1981, he purchased importing licenses from exporting
companies in Punjab. He then imported thousands of Suzuki Motors portable electric-
power generators from Japan. The importing of generators was suddenly banned by the
then Indian Government.
In 1984, he started assembling push-button phones in India, which he earlier used to
import from a Taiwan company, Kingtel, replacing the old fashioned, bulky rotary
phones that were in use in the country then. Bharti Telecom Limited (BTL) was
incorporated and entered into a technical tie up with Siemens AG of Germany for
manufacture of electronic push button phones. By the early 1990s, Sunil was making fax
machines, cordless phones and other telecom gear. Sunil says, "In 1983, the government
imposed a ban on the import of gensets
4. Philanthropy
Mittal has also been working towards educating India through the Bharti Foundation, which
is the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises. The Foundation has established schools in
villages across India and offers free quality education with free books, uniform and mid day
meals to poor children.
Sathya Bharti School Program' – the Foundation's flagship program is running 254 schools
in six States serving over 45,000 rural children, free of cost. The other educational initiatives
including the – Sathya Bharti School, Quality Support and Learning Centre Programs, are
currently reaching out to over 350,000 underprivileged children in 11 states. Other Program
of the Foundation making considerable impact among the underprivileged sections is –
'Sathya Bharti Abhiyan' (Sanitation).
In 2017, the Bharti Family pledged 10% of their wealth (approx. Rs 70 billion) towards
Philanthropy to set up Sathya Bharti University, a world-class University to offer education
to deserving youth from economically weaker sections of society
5. Awards and recognition
Padma Bhushan Government of India 2007
Transforming India Leader, NDTV Business Leader Awards
GSM Association's chairman's Award, 2008
Asia Businessman of the Year, Fortune Magazine, 2006
Telecom Person of the Year, Voice & Data magazine (India), 2006
CEO of the year, Frost and Sullivan Asia Pacific ICT awards, 2006
CEO of the year, 2005–06, Business Standard
Best Asian Telecom CEO, Telecom Asia Awards, 2005
Best C.E.O, India, Institutional Investor, 2005
Business Leader of the Year, Economic Times, 2005
Philanthropist of the Year Award, The Asian Awards 2010
INSEAD Business Leader Award, 2011
