Bharti Airtel one of India’s telecom giants stands as the country’s fourth most valuable company. In 2024 the company witnessed a market capitalization surge of over Rs 4 lakh crore strengthening its position in the Indian corporate landscape. The mastermind behind this success is Sunil Bharti Mittal who started his entrepreneurial journey with only Rs 20000 borrowed from his father. Airtels Milestone Growth According to the 2024 Burgundy Private Hurun India 500 report Airtel experienced the highest market cap growth among Indian companies last year. Today Airtels market cap stands at Rs 926433.31 crore placing it behind only Reliance Industries HDFC Bank and TCS. Despite facing numerous challenges Airtel has emerged stronger due to the vision and determination of its chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal. Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Journey Born on October 23 1957 in Ludhiana Punjab Sunil Bharti Mittal is the son of Satpal Mittal a two-time Member of Parliament. Unlike his father Sunil chose business over politics. His education began at Wynberg Allen School in Mussoorie followed by The Scindia School in Gwalior and finally Punjab University.  At the age of 18 Sunil borrowed Rs 20000 from his father and along with a friend started a bicycle parts business. Sunil Mittal’s Early Struggles  Sunil initially set up a bicycle parts manufacturing unit which grew to three units within three years. While profitable he saw limited potential in the industry. He sold the business and ventured into electric power generators. By 1983 however the Indian government banned the export of generators leaving Sunil’s business in jeopardy. Then he started importing push-button phones under the brand Beetel from Taiwan. This marked the beginning of his association with the telecom industry. Turning Point In Life In 1992 India’s government opened licensing for mobile phone services. Grabbing this opportunity Sunil acquired a cellular license and launched Bharti Cellular Limited (BCL) in 1995 under the brand name Airtel. By 2008 Airtel had become one of the world’s leading telecom companies serving millions of customers. Big Challenge Of Mukesh Ambani’s Jio In 2016 Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio revolutionized the telecom industry with free voice and data services disrupting the market. This forced competitors like Vodafone and Idea also to merge while Airtel faced huge reduction in profits and a declining customer base. Despite these challenges Airtel adapted revamped its strategies and emerged as a strong contender in the telecom sector. Today it serves over 490 million customers across 17 countries. Sunil Mittal’s Legacy With a net worth of $22.5 billion Sunil Mittal is among India’s wealthiest individuals. He holds a 25% stake in Bharti Airtel along with investments in Bharti Enterprises and other holding companies. His diversified business empire includes a 50% stake in Brookfield India Real Estate Trust.