Srinagar, Oct 29: France has conferred its highest civilian honour, the Legion of Honour, on Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, in recognition of his contribution to strengthening Indo-French economic ties and his achievements in telecommunications, digital infrastructure and satellite communications.
Thierry Mathou, Ambassador of France to India, presented Mittal with the insignia of Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légiond’honneur (Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour) during a ceremony at the Residence of France on October 28.
Addressing the gathering, Mathou highlighted Mittal’s longstanding role in fostering economic partnerships between India and France, particularly through investments and collaborations in telecommunications, insurance and satellite communications.
“The conferring of the Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légiond’honneur on Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal comes in recognition of his outstanding contribution in promoting Indo-French economic ties,” Mathou said.
He noted that Mittal had strengthened business relations with France through partnerships involving AXA, the French multinational insurance group, and Alcatel-Lucent, the telecommunications equipment company. He also highlighted Mittal’s investment in Eutelsat, the French satellite communications company, as a contribution to France’s strategic ambitions in the space sector.
According to Mathou, the honour reflects France’s appreciation of Mittal’s commitment to strengthening bilateral business relations through strategic partnerships, high-level diplomatic engagement and investments in satellite communications.
Accepting the distinction, Mittal said he was humbled by the recognition from the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron.
“My association with France began at Airtel’s inception in 1992, when CompagnieGénérale des Eaux joined hands with Bharti to introduce mobile telephony in India, and continues today through my role as Vice-Président of Eutelsat, the European satellite champion,” Mittal said.
He expressed gratitude to Macron for the honour and reiterated his commitment to deepening economic relations between India and France.
“I accept this honour with gratitude to President Macron and with a renewed commitment to further deepen the economic ties between India and France,” he said.
The recognition comes as India and France continue to expand cooperation in strategic sectors, including space and digital technology, under their Special Global Strategic Partnership.
Mittal’s role as vice-chairman of Eutelsat further underscores the growing importance of private-sector partnerships in advancing bilateral cooperation, particularly in satellite communications and digital connectivity.
