Gopal Vittal Elected as GSMA Chairman until 2026

The GSMA Board of Directors has appointed Gopal Vittal, Vice Chairman & MD of Bharti Airtel, as its new Chairman until the end of 2026. Vittal is only the second Indian to hold this prestigious position, following in the footsteps of Bharti Airtel’s Sunil Bharti Mittal.

Role and Responsibilities of the GSMA Chairman

As the Chairman, Vittal will steer the strategic direction of the GSMA, which stands for Global System for Mobile Communications Association. The GSMA includes over 1,000 companies from the mobile ecosystem, including manufacturers of handsets and devices, software developers, equipment suppliers, and internet companies, along with organizations from various related sectors. This organisation plays a crucial role in shaping global industry policies.

Gopal Vittal’s Vision for the GSMA

Gopal Vittal expressed his enthusiasm regarding the new role, stating that he is honoured to be elected as the Chair of the GSMA Board. He highlighted the significant contribution of the mobile industry to the global economy, estimating it to be worth $6.5 trillion in 2024. He emphasized that the mobile sector serves as a foundation for much of the world’s innovation. Vittal also mentioned the importance of the GSMA in unifying the mobile ecosystem to foster innovation that brings positive changes for everyone. He looks forward to collaborating with the GSMA team and the Board to expand on this important work.

Experience on the GSMA Board

Prior to this appointment, Vittal served as the Deputy Chair on the GSMA Board for three years and stepped in as the Acting Chair in early 2025.

Support from GSMA Leadership

Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA, commented on Vittal’s appointment, expressing his delight in seeing Mr. Vittal take on the Chair position. Granryd noted that Vittal’s extensive knowledge and experience make him exceptionally qualified to lead the Board and navigate through present challenges and opportunities, particularly in leveraging AI and finalizing 5G to explore new business models and revenue streams.

Future of the GSMA Board

With Vittal now in the Chairman role, the GSMA Board is expected to announce the election of a new Deputy Chair in the near future.