Coforge Names Akhil Gupta as Non-Executive Chairman
Coforge appoints former Bharti Enterprises VC Akhil Gupta as its new Non-Executive Chairman.
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Coforge Limited has appointed Akhil Kumar Gupta as its Chairperson and Non-Executive Independent Director for a five-year term, effective September 29, 2026. The appointment is subject to shareholder approval.
Gupta, former Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, played a key role in the company’s growth since its early years and currently chairs the boards of 360 ONE WAM Ltd and Bharti Life Insurance Ltd. He also serves on the boards of Zepto, Snapdeal, Eutelsat Communications and Lodha Developers.
The appointment follows weeks of boardroom turmoil at Coforge, triggered by the resignation of former chairman O.P. Bhatt after an internal audit found he had suppressed key findings related to his own performance review from other board members. The episode wiped more than ₹4,400 crore off Coforge’s market value, with shares falling over 5%. Following Bhatt’s exit, Coforge appointed non-executive independent director Vivek Sharma as interim chairperson and engaged global search firm Egon Zehnder to lead the search for a permanent replacement. A shortlist of 60 candidates was narrowed down before Gupta emerged as the unanimous choice of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
“We are very excited to have Mr. Akhil Gupta join us as the chairperson at a very important time for the industry and the firm. Mr. Gupta was instrumental in Bharti Enterprises successfully navigating multiple business shifts during his watch,” said Sudhir Singh, CEO and Executive Director, Coforge.
Coforge Limited has appointed Akhil Kumar Gupta as its Chairperson and Non-Executive Independent Director for a five-year term, effective September 29, 2026. The appointment is subject to shareholder approval.
Gupta, former Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, played a key role in the company’s growth since its early years and currently chairs the boards of 360 ONE WAM Ltd and Bharti Life Insurance Ltd. He also serves on the boards of Zepto, Snapdeal, Eutelsat Communications and Lodha Developers.
The appointment follows weeks of boardroom turmoil at Coforge, triggered by the resignation of former chairman O.P. Bhatt after an internal audit found he had suppressed key findings related to his own performance review from other board members. The episode wiped more than ₹4,400 crore off Coforge’s market value, with shares falling over 5%. Following Bhatt’s exit, Coforge appointed non-executive independent director Vivek Sharma as interim chairperson and engaged global search firm Egon Zehnder to lead the search for a permanent replacement. A shortlist of 60 candidates was narrowed down before Gupta emerged as the unanimous choice of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee.
“We are very excited to have Mr. Akhil Gupta join us as the chairperson at a very important time for the industry and the firm. Mr. Gupta was instrumental in Bharti Enterprises successfully navigating multiple business shifts during his watch,” said Sudhir Singh, CEO and Executive Director, Coforge.
