Airtel Malawi has appointed Aashish Dutt as the company’s managing director, beginning February 1, 2025. He succeeds Abdul Khayyum Shaik, who has been acting managing director since November 2024.
Dutt is an accomplished leader in the telecommunications and sales industries with over two decades of extensive experience across multiple markets. Currently serving as the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Airtel Kenya, Aashish has held this pivotal role since September 2021.
According to Kayisi Sadala, interim chairperson of the board, Dutt has over 28 years of telecom expertise, 14 of which have been in senior management.
Sadala said: ‘’He has a strong commercial background in telecommunications and FMCG across multiple geographies across India and Africa. He was appointed sales and distribution director for Airtel Malawi in January 2017 and promoted to chief commercial officer in January 2021.
“From there he served as chief commercial officer for Airtel Kenya networks from August 2021 to present. Additionally, he has been in acting capacity of chief commercial officer in Uganda, working across both Kenya and Uganda.”
Based in Nairobi, Kenya, he has been instrumental in driving Airtel Kenya’s commercial strategy, enhancing market share, and ensuring sustained growth for over three years.
Before his current position, Dutt held key roles at Airtel Malawi Limited, where he served as Chief Commercial Officer from January to August 2021, following a four-year tenure as Director of Sales and Distribution. During his time in Malawi, Aashish demonstrated an exceptional ability to boost sales performance and expand distribution networks, solidifying Airtel’s market presence in the region.
Before joining Airtel, Dutt built a solid foundation in sales and marketing with notable contributions at Aircel. From 2010 to 2016, he rose through various leadership roles, including Sales & Marketing Head in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and Circle Sales Head in Rajasthan. His strategic leadership significantly improved customer acquisition and revenue generation in these territories.
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Dutt’s professional journey began with Dabur India Limited, where he served as a Sales Officer from 1996 to 1998. He later joined The Coca-Cola Company as an Area Sales Manager, a position he held for nearly four years. These roles honed his expertise in FMCG sales and laid the groundwork for his career in telecommunications.
In 2002, Dutt transitioned to the telecom sector with Reliance Infocomm as the Cluster Prepaid Head for Jaipur, a role he held until 2005. He then joined Bharti Airtel Limited as a Zonal Business Manager in Rajasthan, where he spent two years before moving to Reliance Communications as a Distribution Head, a position he held from 2007 to 2010.
Dutt has a Bachelor of Commerce from Calcutta University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Administration from the Symbiosis Centre India.
