Bharti may hike Sunil Mittal's pay to Rs 70 crore

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Telecom giant Bharti Airtel on Monday proposed an annual pay package of up to Rs 70 crore for its chief Sunil Mittal, besides other benefits, while seeking its shareholders' nod for his remuneration.

The proposed package would be more than double his last fiscal remuneration of Rs 27.5 crore, which is nearly three-fourth or about 76 per cent of the combined pay package of the company's all directors in fiscal ended March 31, 2011.

As per Bharti Airtel's annual report, released on Monday, Mittal's remuneration rose by about Rs 4 crore or 17 per cent from his 2009-2010 fiscal package of Rs 23.5 crore.

Bharti Airtel also sought its shareholders' approval for re-appointment of Mittal as its Managing Director for another five years with effect from October 1, 2011, at a remuneration package of up to Rs 70 crore besides other benefits.

Interestingly, the remuneration for Manoj Kohli, Bharti Airtel's Joint Managing Director, fell to Rs 4.1 crore, from Rs 4.52 crore in the previous fiscal.

The total remuneration for all directors rose from Rs 29.89 crore to Rs 35.98 crore.

Along with the annual report, the company also released the notice for its upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) on September 1, where it will seek shareholders' nod for Mittal's re-appointment and remuneration. Mittal would complete his current term as Managing Director on September 30.

The company has proposed a total fixed pay (inclusive of salary, allowances and retirement benefits) of up to Rs 20 crore per annum for Mittal.

Besides, he would be paid variable pay (performance-linked incentives) of up to 200 per cent of the annual fixed pay in a financial year and also perquisites worth up to 50 per cent of the fixed pay, taking the total package to an amount not exceeding Rs 70 crore.

Mittal would also be entitled to other benefits like leave encashments and reimbursements of all "legitimate expenses incurred by him in performance of his duties".

However, the aggregate remuneration, inclusive of fixed pay, variable pay, perquisites, allowances and other benefits payable to Mittal as MD would be subject to the overall ceilings laid down by the government, it added.

The company further said Mittal was at present entitled to a fixed remuneration of Rs 10 crore, plus variable pay and other benefits and the proposed remuneration was "an enabling one and sets out the maximum amount that can be paid to Sunil Mittal over a period of 5 years or until September 30, 2016."

Mittal's pay package in 2010-11 included salary and allowances of Rs 9.58 crore, performance linked incentive of Rs 17.87 crore and perquisites worth Rs 4.83 lakh.