GSMA elects Bharti Airtel’s Gopal Vittal as chair

The board of global telecom operators body GSMA on Monday elected Bharti Airtel Ltd’s vice-chairman and managing director Gopal Vittal as its new chairman.

Vittal, who is currently the acting chair of the GSMA board, will take over the new role until the end of 2026, a statement from the telecom operator said.

He becomes the second Indian after Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal to be elected to the role.

In his role as chairman, Vittal will oversee the strategic direction of the GSMA, which is represented by over 1,100 entitites in the global telecom ecosystem including telecom service providers, handset and device makers, software companies, and equipment providers.

“I am honored to be elected as the chair of the GSMA goard. 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,” Vittal said in the statement.

“The GSMA, as a global organization unifying the mobile ecosystem, is fundamental to discover, develop and deliver innovation that impacts positive change for all. I look forward to working closely with the GSMA team and the rest of the board to continue this important work,” he added.

Vittal served on the GSMA board in different capacities for eight years and was most recently appointed as acting chair in mid-January.

The GSMA board will announce the election of a new deputy chair in due course.

Vittal, who was the managing director and chief executive officer of Airtel for 12 years, is also a board member at Bharti Airtel, Airtel Africa and Indus Towers.

“I have worked with Vittal for many years and am delighted that he has been appointed chair,” Mats Granryd, director general of GSMA, said.

“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,” Granryd added.