Shabnam Sinha to replace Sunil Mittal as Airtel Payments Bank chairperson

Airtel Payments Bank has named Shabnam Sinha as its next non-executive chairperson, succeeding Sunil Bharti Mittal from October 1, 2026. Mittal will step down from the board on September 30, 2026, ending a decade-long tenure that began in April 2016. Sinha, currently an independent director on the board, has been appointed for a three-year term following board and RBI approval.

Sinha is a former World Bank professional with over 30 years of experience in development finance, financial services, and public policy. She has advised governments across Asia, Africa, and Europe on governance and risk management. At Airtel Payments Bank, she chairs the Special Committee for Monitoring Frauds and serves on risk and IT panels.

Under Mittal's leadership, the bank became India's largest payments bank by revenue, serving over 121 million monthly active users and nearly 30 million account customers through a network of over 500,000 banking points. The bank also posted a 73% jump in net profit to Rs 109 crore for FY26, with revenue rising to Rs 3,207 crore.