India, May 15 -- The chairman of Bharti Airtel, Sunil Bharti Mittal, has outlined plans to strengthen the promoter group's control over the telecom operator, with the long-term goal of increasing ownership to around 50%.

The company's restructuring process has already begun, starting with a share swap arrangement involving Indian Continent Investment Limited (ICIL) aimed at increasing control over Airtel Africa. Mittal's participation in Bharti Airtel's FY26 earnings call surprised several analysts and reporters, as he does not usually take part in such discussions.

According to Mittal, Bharti Telecom is expected to eventually own more than 50% of Bharti Airtel. He said the move would help consolidate ownership under a single controllin...