Airtel appoints Rabi Shankar Mishra as CEO for Maharashtra and Goa

Bharti Airtel has appointed Rabi Shankar Mishra as Chief Executive Officer – Maharashtra & Goa, strengthening leadership at a time when the telecom major is intensifying its focus on growth, customer acquisition and network expansion in one of its largest and most competitive circles.

Mishra has taken charge of the role with responsibility for driving business strategy, sales execution and customer growth across Maharashtra and Goa, regions that account for a significant share of Airtel’s subscriber base and revenue.

In his most recent assignment within the group, Mishra served as a Chief Executive Officer at Airtel, based in Pune, following an earlier stint leading the company’s operations in Guwahati, Assam. During these roles, he focused on strengthening market presence, driving sales-led execution and building high-performance regional teams, according to people familiar with the appointments.

Before joining Airtel, Mishra spent over four years with The Hershey Company, where he served as Sales Director – India, overseeing national sales strategy and managing a large on-ground sales organisation across modern and general trade channels.

His career also includes senior leadership roles at Diageo, Mondelēz International, and Cadbury India, where he managed large regional and national portfolios. Across these assignments, he led multi-state sales organisations, expanded distribution networks and executed route-to-market strategies in highly competitive consumer markets.

Mishra began his professional journey with PepsiCo India (Frito-Lay Division) and CavinKare, gaining early experience in market development, sales operations and distributor management across multiple Indian states.

The appointment comes as Airtel continues to invest heavily in network expansion and digital infrastructure. The company has rolled out 5G services across more than 5,000 cities and towns, while competing aggressively on customer experience, data consumption and enterprise services.

With over 574 million customers across mobile, broadband, digital television and enterprise offerings, Airtel remains one of India’s largest telecommunications operators. Leadership continuity in key circles such as Maharashtra and Goa is seen as critical as the industry navigates pricing pressures, rising data demand and ongoing capital investment cycles.