* Only the second Indian to chair the prestigious telecom industry body after Sunil Bharti Mittal
* Appointment also highlights the critical role of Airtel in the global telecom industry with operations in 14 countries across sub-Saharan Africa
By Duncan Mlanjira
The Board of Directors of GSMA — the global organisation that unifies the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change — has elected Bharti Airtel vice-chairman & Managing Director, Gopal Vittal as its new chairperson until the end of 2026.
Advertisement
Gopal was currently GSMA Board’s acting Chair and a statement from Gurugram, India, says in his role, Gopal will oversee the strategic direction of the GSMA — whose members of the prestigious body include 1,000 telecom companies from around the world, handset and device companies, software companies, equipment providers, internet companies, as well as organizations in adjacent industry sectors.
“Gopal becomes the second Indian after Sunil Bharti Mittal to be elected as the Chairman of the GSMA Board,” says the statement. The appointment also highlights the significant influence Airtel has in the global telecom industry, with both Sunil Bharti Mittal and Gopal Vittal having held key positions on the GSMA Board for years.”
On his comments in taking up the role, Gopal Vittal is quoted as saying: “I am honoured to be elected as the Chair of the GSMA Board. The GSMA, as a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem, is fundamental to discover, develop and deliver innovation that impacts positive change for all.
“The mobile industry contributed US$6.5 trillion to the global economy in 2024 and is the spine on which much of the innovation in the world is built. I look forward to working closely with the GSMA team and the rest of the Board to continue this important work.”
GSMA Director General, Mats Granryd, is quoted as saying: “I have worked with Mr. Vittal for many years and am delighted that he has been appointed Chair of the GSMA Board.
“His knowledge and experience makes him very well positioned to lead the Board and the industry through the current challenges and opportunities, including how to leverage AI and complete 5G for new business models and revenues streams.”
The statement further says Gopal has served on the GSMA Board in different capacities for over a decade including as deputy chair for the last three years and most recently, he was also appointed the acting chair in early 2025.
He will serve until the end of 2026 and, meanwhile, the GSMA Board will announce the election of a new deputy Chair in due course.
The current vice-chairman & managing director for Bharti Airtel, Gopal Vittal is also a Board member of Airtel Africa Plc and Indus Towers and prior to this, he was the managing director & CEO for Airtel for 12 years.
The GSMA’s vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars; ‘Connectivity for Good’, ‘Industry Services’ and ‘Solutions and Outreach’.
This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and
providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.
Headquartered in India, Bharti Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 550 million customers in 15 countries across India and Africa — having its presence in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka though its associate entities.
The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa.
Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high-speed 4G/5G mobile broadband, Airtel X-stream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services.
For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud-based communication.
Within its diversified portfolio, the company offers passive infrastructure services through our subsidiary Indus Tower Ltd.
For Airtel Africa, it is a leading provider of telecommunications and mobile money services, with operations in 14 countries across sub-Saharan Africa and its integrated offer provides national and international mobile voice and data services as well as mobile money services to over 156 million customers.
The company’s strategy is focused on delivering a great customer experience across the entire footprint and increasing digital and financial inclusion to transform lives across Africa, in line with our corporate purpose.
Advertisement