Vodafone Idea names Abhijit Kishore as CEO; Akshaya Moondra’s term to end on August 18

Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) on Thursday announced the appointment of Abhijit Kishore as chief executive officer (CEO), succeeding Akshaya Moondra, whose tenure ends on August 18. Kishore will assume charge from August 19, 2025, for a three-year term.

“Akshaya Moondra, CEO, was appointed by the Board of Directors of the company on August 19, 2022, for a term of three years, which will conclude at the close of business hours on August 18, 2025. Based on the recommendation of the Nomination & Remuneration Committee, the Board has appointed Abhijit Kishore, currently the Chief Operating Officer, as the Chief Executive Officer and Key Managerial Personnel of the Company for a period of three years effective 19th August, 2025,” the telecom operator said in a BSE filing.

Kishore, who has been associated with the company since March 2015, has held several senior leadership positions at both circle operations and corporate levels. Before becoming COO, he headed VIL’s enterprise business as Chief Enterprise Business Officer.

On the earnings front, VIL reported a net loss of Rs 6,608 crore for the June 2025 quarter (Q1 FY26), compared with a net loss of Rs 6,432 crore in the year-ago period. Sequentially, the loss narrowed from Rs 7,166 crore in the March 2025 quarter (Q4 FY25). Revenue from operations rose 5 per cent year-on-year to Rs 11,022 crore from Rs 10,508 crore.

The company’s average revenue per user (ARPU) stood at Rs 177, up 15 per cent from Rs 154 in Q1 FY25, supported by subscriber upgrades and an improved mix. EBITDA rose to Rs 4,612 crore from Rs 4,204 crore a year ago, with margins improving to 41.8 per cent from 40 per cent.

The announcements were made after market hours. Earlier in the day, VIL shares closed 3.45 per cent lower at Rs 6.15.