Bharti Airtel managing director Gopal Vittal elected GSMA chairman

Bharti Airtel vice chairman and managing director Gopal Vittal has become the chairman of the global mobile industry body GSM Association (GSMA) until end-2026.

 

Vittal had already been serving as the acting chair of the GSMA board. The GSMA represents more than 1,000 telecom companies globally, handset and device companies, software companies, equipment providers, internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors.

 

The appointment highlights Airtel's significant influence in the global telecom industry. Vittal has served on the GSMA board in different capacities for over a decade, including as deputy chair for the last three years. He is the second Indian to serve on the body after Bharti Enterprises chairperson Sunil Bharti Mittal, who also held key positions in the GSMA board for years.

 

"The mobile industry contributed $6.5 trillion to the global economy in 2024 and is the spine on which much of the innovation in the world is built. The GSMA, as a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem, is fundamental to discover, develop and deliver innovation that impacts positive change for all," Vittal said.

 

Vittal's experience makes him well positioned to lead through the current challenges and opportunities, including how to leverage AI and complete 5G for new business models and revenue streams, Mats Granryd, director general of the GSMA, said.