The GSMA Board has selected Gopal Vittal, the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Airtel, as its new Chairman until the end of 2026. Gopal has been serving as the acting Chair.
As Chairman of GSMA, Gopal will oversee strategic directions and plans. The GSMA body includes members from around 1,000 telecom companies, including phone and device makers, software companies, and internet businesses. Gopal is the second Indian to hold this role, following Sunil Bharti Mittal.
Upon his new role, Gopal Vittal said, “I feel honored to be elected as the Chair of the GSMA Board. The mobile industry contributed $6.5 trillion to the global economy in 2024 and is important for innovation around the world. The GSMA helps bring together the mobile community to create and share innovations that make a positive impact. I look forward to working closely with the GSMA team and the Board to continue this important work.”
Mats Granryd, the Director General of the GSMA, also praised Gopal Vittal, saying, “I have worked with Mr. Vittal for many years and I’m very happy he has been made Chair. His experience makes him a great leader for the Board and the industry, especially with current challenges and opportunities like using AI and completing 5G for new business models.”
Gopal has been part of the GSMA Board in different roles for over ten years, including as the Deputy Chair for the last three years. He started as the Acting Chair in early 2025 and is now officially elected as the Chair. He will hold this position until the end of 2026. The GSMA will announce a new Deputy Chair soon.
Gopal Vittal is the Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Bharti Airtel and serves on the boards of Bharti Airtel Limited, Airtel Africa PLC, and Indus Towers. Before this, he was the Managing Director and CEO of Airtel for 12 years.
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