The UK government will block Sunil Bharti Mittal from raising his stake in BT above 25 per cent, according to sources familiar with the matter. Officials cited the need to maintain sovereign control over the telecoms infrastructure that serves over 22 million British homes through Openreach. The decision reflects broader concerns about foreign ownership of critical national infrastructure.

Mittal's Bharti Enterprises acquired a 24.5 per cent stake in 2024 from Patrick Drahi and has since increased it to 24.95 per cent. Crossing the 25 per cent threshold would trigger a formal review under the National Security and Investment Act, a quasi-judicial process. A British government figure emphasized this stance applies universally, stating resilience and sovereign capability have different thresholds in today's world.

Since acquiring his stake, Mittal has maintained a close relationship with BT chief executive Allison Kirkby, securing two board seats last year. Sources say he has given directors the impression he has no immediate plans to increase his stake, though his ambitions for the company and UK investment remain evident.

This marks Mittal's latest UK investment move after partnering with the government on the 2020 OneWeb acquisition. His Airtel Africa group is also exploring a London listing for its mobile money business, following disruptions to Middle East float plans due to regional tensions.