Sunil Mittal has sold a stake worth close to $1 billion in Bharti Airtel this week.

As reported by Bloomberg, GQG Partners LLC and Fidelity Investments were named as a couple of the investors that acquired shares in the company this week.

In total, Mittal sold the 0.84 percent stake for $976 million. 51 million shares were sold.

Bloomberg reports that Lazard Inc., SBI Life Insurance Co., and ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. were among the other investors who picked up the remaining shares.

“With this, Bharti Telecom now holds around 40.47 percent of Airtel, reinforcing its previously stated intent of strengthening its position as the principal vehicle to have a controlling stake in Airtel, remaining focused on gradually increasing its stake while maintaining a prudent leverage profile as it does so,” reads Airtel's filing.

The stake sale comes amid Airtel's expansion into other international markets.

Last year, Airtel acquired Altice founder Patrick Drahi's 24.5 percent stake in British telco giant BT.

Bharti, founded by billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal, has sought opportunities beyond India but ruled out a full buyout of BT.

Ironically, BT previously owned a 21 percent stake in Bharti Airtel between 1997 and 2001, a subsidiary of Bharti Enterprises Limited.

Earlier this month, Airtel reported 460.9 percent growth in consolidated net profit for the third quarter of its financial year.