Bharti Airtel's Gopal Vittal elected as GSMA Chairman until 2026

The GSMA Board of Directors has elected Bharti Airtel's Gopal Vittal as its new Chairman until the end of 2026. Vittal, who is the Vice Chairman & MD, Bharti Airtel, is only the second Indian to hold this designation, after Bharti Airtel's Sunil Bharti Mittal. 

As Chairman, Vittal will be responsible for GSMA's strategic direction. GSMA stands for Global System for Mobile Communications Association. The organisation comprises of over 1,000 companies across the mobile ecosystem, such as handset and device companies, software companies, equipment providers, internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent industry sectors. It plays a key role in shaping industry policies globally.

"I am honored to be elected as the Chair of the GSMA Board," said Gopal Vittal in a statement. He added, "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. I look forward to working closely with the GSMA team and the rest of the Board to continue this important work."

Vittal was already serving as Deputy Chair for the last three years on the GSMA Board, and was also appointed the Acting Chair of the GSMA board in early 2025.

Mats Granryd, Director General of the GSMA, commented: "I have worked with Mr. Vittal for many years and am delighted that he has been appointed Chair of the GSMA Board. 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."

After Vittal's ascent to the role of Chairman, the GSMA Board will announce the election of a new Deputy Chair in some time.