Balesh Sharma to step down as Vodafone Idea CEO

Faced with mounting losses and issues around the merger between Idea Cellular and Vodafone India, Board of Vodafone Idea Limited today announced that it has accepted Balesh Sharma’s request to step down as CEO of Vodafone Idea.

Though the official statement cited personal reasons, sources in the company indicated that the exit is due to organisational issues with the merger.

Balesh will be taking up a new role with Vodafone Group, which will be announced in due course. Ravinder Takkar, currently Vodafone Group’s representative in India, will be appointed as his successor with immediate effect.