Airtel Africa appoints Dinesh Balsingh as CEO of Airtel Nigeria

Joy Agwunobi 

Airtel Africa has appointed Dinesh Balsingh as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Airtel Nigeria, effective from November 1, 2024. This new role also sees Balsingh joining the Airtel Africa Group’s Executive Council.

Balsingh takes over from Carl Cruz, who resigned in October after leading Airtel Nigeria for 17 months, a tenure that began in May 2023.

With over 24 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, Balsingh is well-versed in the Nigerian market, having previously held the position of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) at Airtel Nigeria. Before returning to Nigeria, he served as the Managing Director and CEO of Airtel Tanzania starting in 2022.

During his time in Tanzania, Balsingh was credited with driving significant growth by implementing innovative pricing strategies, improving product offerings, and ensuring disciplined execution. These efforts led to an  increase in Airtel Tanzania’s Revenue Market Share (RMS) amidst intense competition.

Balsingh’s telecommunications career began in 2000 with Hutchison Essar, followed by roles at Airtel India as Marketing Director in 2006 and Tata Docomo in 2011. He joined Airtel Nigeria in 2013 as Marketing Director and later became CCO in 2018.

He holds an MBA from Thiagarajar School of Management, which complements his extensive industry experience.

Sunil Taldar, CEO of Airtel Africa, expressed his confidence in Balsingh’s ability to propel growth in the Nigerian market. “Balsingh’s strong operational execution and deep telecommunications knowledge, combined with his familiarity with the Nigerian market, will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission to transform lives across Nigeria,” Taldar said.