Key Takeaways:
- The UK government plans to block Sunil Bharti Mittal from increasing his stake in the BT Group.
- Officials want to maintain sovereign control over critical infrastructure like Openreach’s fibre network.
- Crossing the 25% ownership threshold would trigger a formal review under national security laws.
The UK government would oppose any effort by Indian billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal to raise Bharti Enterprises’ stake in British Telecom above 25 per cent, citing national security concerns tied to control of critical telecom infrastructure, according to a Financial Times report published Thursday.
British officials said sovereign control of key communications infrastructure remains a priority as Bharti Enterprises approaches the ownership threshold that would require formal government approval. Bharti currently holds a 24.95 per cent stake in BT after increasing its position from 24.5 per cent acquired in 2024 from French-Israeli billionaire Patrick Drahi.
The move would limit Bharti’s influence over BT, one of Britain’s largest telecommunications companies. BT’s broadband network division, Openreach, provides fibre broadband access to more than 22 million homes across the UK.
Officials Stress Sovereign Control of Critical Networks
British officials told the Financial Times they would seek to block any attempt by Bharti to cross the 25 per cent ownership threshold because of concerns tied to national infrastructure oversight.
“It’s not to do with Bharti or India specifically, it’s a matter of keeping critical national infrastructure in sovereign UK control for obvious reasons,” one British government figure told the newspaper.
The report comes as governments across Europe and North America increase scrutiny of foreign investment in sectors considered strategically important, including telecommunications, energy and defence-linked infrastructure.
Under UK regulations, ownership increases beyond certain thresholds in sensitive sectors can trigger government review under national security laws. BT’s role in maintaining the country’s communications network places it under heightened oversight.
Sunil Bharti Mittal Expands Global Telecom Presence
Bharti Enterprises, led by Mittal, has steadily expanded its global telecom footprint over the past decade through investments and partnerships across Europe, Africa and Asia.
The BT investment marked one of Bharti’s largest international bets and signalled growing Indian corporate interest in European infrastructure assets. Analysts viewed the acquisition as a strategic financial investment rather than an attempt to gain operational control.
Neither Bharti Enterprises nor BT immediately commented publicly on the report on Thursday.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder of Bharti Airtel, is among India’s most prominent business leaders and has pursued overseas investments as the Indian telecom market matures. Bharti Airtel remains one of India’s largest telecom operators with operations spanning multiple countries.
The UK government’s reported stance may also reflect broader geopolitical sensitivities around ownership of telecom infrastructure at a time when cybersecurity and digital sovereignty remain central concerns for policymakers.
British officials had already communicated internally that approval for a higher Bharti stake would likely face resistance.
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