Shabnam Sinha to chair Airtel Payments Bank from October 1

Shabnam Sinha will become Chairperson of Airtel Payments Bank for a three-year term starting October 1, 2026, succeeding Sunil Mittal. Mittal steps down as non-executive Chairman and from the board on September 30, 2026. The appointment was made by the board and approved by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), according to a company release.

Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, had led the bank since April 2016. Under his leadership, the bank grew to become India's largest payments bank by revenue, both Telangana Today and Rediff report. The bank now serves over 121 million monthly active users and nearly 30 million bank account customers through the Airtel Thanks App.

The bank operates a network of over 500,000 banking points, the largest in India, reaching three out of four villages. It is also the country's second-largest mobile bank and UPI Autopay player, the sources add.