London/New Delhi, 28 Feb

Telecom tycoon Sunil Bharti Mittal has been awarded Honorary Knighthood by the British King in recognition of his services to the UK and India business relations.

Mittal, Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, which owns the country's second largest telecom firm Airtel, is the first Indian to be awarded the Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) by King Charles III, his company said in a statement.

The KBE is among the highest honours conferred by the British Sovereign to civilians. It is awarded in an honorary capacity to foreign nationals.

Mittal, whose Airtel Africa is listed on the London Stock Exchange, in recent months led the revival of OneWeb (now known as Eutelsat), leading a consortium with the UK Government and other strategic investors to offer satellite broadband services globally. He is a member of the India-UK CEO Forum as well as a member of the Vice Chancellor's Circle of Advisors at the University of Cambridge.

He also served on the governing body of the London Business School (LBS) and as a member of the India Advisory Group at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Commenting on the award, Mittal, 66, said, "I am deeply humbled by this gracious recognition from His Majesty, King Charles. UK and India have historical relations, which are now entering a new era of increased cooperation and collaboration".

"I remain committed to working towards strengthening the economic and bilateral trade relationships between our two great nations. I am thankful to the Government of UK, whose support and keen attention to the needs of business has been critical in making the country an attractive investment destination," he said.

Back home, he was bestowed with the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honours, in 2007.