Sunil Bharti Mittal conferred Lifetime Achievement Award by GSMA

GSMA honoured Bharti Enterprises founder at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, recognising his role in expanding global telecom connectivity and advancing digital inclusion

Sunil Bharti Mittal, founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises, has been given the Lifetime Achievement Award by global telecom industry body GSMA at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Monday, Bharti Airtel said in a statement.  

 

The award presented only on rare occassions in GSMA's history, was presented in the presence of Felipe VI, the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez, the President of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, and global industry leaders, recognising his role in reshaping the global telecommunications landscape and expanding connectivity across operators, governments, businesses and billions of consumers worldwide. 

 

The award has so far been presented to global telecom stalwarts such as Martin Cooper, widely known as the "father of the cell phone", and former GSMA CEO Robert G. Conway who was conferred the award posthumously. Mittal becomes the first Indian to have recieved the award that recognises contributions that have left an enduring and defining mark on the global communications ecosystem. 

 

On receiving the award, Mittal said, “I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition and sincerely thank the GSMA for this award. I accept it not only as a personal milestone, but as a tribute to India’s telecom journey, the collective spirit of Bharti, and the rise of Indian telecom companies on the global stage. Equally, the award reflects the progress of an industry that has connected billions and belongs to the customers we serve, the teams who built our institutions, and the partners who believe in the transformative power of connectivity." 

 

"Telecommunication is a force that expands opportunity, places essential services in the palm of every individual and unlocks human potential. Helping shape its evolution into a powerful accelerator of modern progress has been a privileged responsibility. As innovation accelerates, we will continue to work with our partners & stakeholders to ensure that growth advances equity and creates lasting opportunity for generations to come," he added.   

 

Mittal has built Bharti Airtel into one of the world’s leading mobile operators, with operations across India and Africa, ranking among the top-three globally and serving over half a billion customers. He pioneered the expansion of mobile services across emerging markets and served as Chairman of the GSMA from 2017 to 2018, where he championed policies that encouraged investment and innovation while strengthening the industry’s commitment to connecting the unconnected and advancing digital inclusion. 

 

He was previously honoured with the GSMA Chairman’s Award in 2008 and again in 2016 for his outstanding contribution to the growth and development of the global mobile industry and was felicitated at Mobile World Congress in February 2019 in recognition of his chairmanship.