Kumar Mangalam Birla steps down as Vodafone Idea chairman

KM Birla has stepped down as the non-executive chairman of financially-troubled Vodafone Idea, the company said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday. “The board of directors of Vodafone Idea, at its meeting held today (Wednesday), have accepted the request of Kumar Mangalam Birla to step down as non-executive director and non-executive chairman of the board with effect from close of business hours on August 4, 2021,” the filing said.

The board has elected Himanshu Kapania, currently a non-executive director, as the non-executive chairman. In the past, he was the MD of Idea Cellular before it was merged with Vodafone India. A telecom industry veteran, he is at present the chairman of the Ficci council on telecom, electronics and digital economy.