Former Temasek India chief Manish Kejriwal and former World Bank executive Obiageli Katryn Ezekwesili have joined the board of Bharti Airtel, India`s largest mobile telephone service provider, as a non-executive independent directors.
The appointments come as Akhil Gupta, Rakesh Bharti Mittal and Hui Weng Cheong have stepped down from Bharti Airtel board due to the pending IPO of its unit, Bharti Infratel. Rakesh Mittal has been made chairman of Bharti Infratel.
“These changes have been effected in line with our strong corporate governance culture and will ensure that Bharti and Singtel have distinct representatives on the Boards of Bharti Airtel and Bharti Infratel," said Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Airtel.
Kejriwal is the Managing Partner at Kedaara Capital Advisors LLP, a private equity firm focusing on corporate divestitures and carve outs. Before setting up Kedaara last year, he founded the India office of Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek in 2004.
Under Kejriwal, Temasek became one of the largest foreign investors in India with investments in ICICI Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra, Tata Consultancy Services, GMR Energy, National Stock Exchange and Bharti Infratel. He also serves as non-executive director on the Boards of Bajaj Auto Limited and Bajaj Holdings & Investment Limited.
Ezekwesili is former World Bank Vice President for Africa and a world renowned expert on economic reforms and economic governance.
