The GSMA Board of Directors has elected Gopal Vittal, as chair, for the remainder of the Board term, until the end of 2026. Vittal has served on the GSMA Board for eight years, including as deputy chair since 2023 and most recently as acting chair of the board since mid-January, 2025.
As GSMA chair, Vittal will oversee the strategic direction of the organisation, which represents the world’s mobile operators and companies in the broader mobile ecosystem. This includes completing the transition to 5G Standalone, drive new revenue models, and harness the potential of AI and GSMA Open Gateway APIs, to ensure growth. The GSMA Open Gateway initiative, using open network APIs, today have participation of mobile operators accounting for almost 80 percent of mobile connections globally.
“I am 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 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 deliver 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,” said Vittal.
Mats Granryd, director General of the GSMA, commented, “I have worked with 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.”
The GSMA Board will announce the election of a new deputy chair in due course.
Vittal is currently the vice chairman and managing director of the Bharti Airtel Group and sits on the boards of Bharti Airtel Limited, Airtel Africa PLC and Indus Towers.
In his role, as vice chairman and managing director, he is responsible for providing overall leadership for Airtel’s operations. Over the last 12 years, under his charge, Airtel has built a winning portfolio of businesses across Mobile, B2B, homes and Digital services achieving a life-time high revenue market share in an intensely competitive market.
In addition to strong business performance, Airtel has built a resilient organization, with best in class talent, world class digital capabilities and a strong set of values. Customer obsession and digital capabilities embedded in its talent pool secure its future. The capital markets acknowledge this with a five fold increase in the market capitalization of the company to well over $100 Billion.
In addition, Vittal was also with Hindustan Unilever for over 20 years. He led several national and global assignments across sales, marketing and general management. In his last four years he was on the board of the company, responsible for leading the Home and Personal Care Business, 80 percent of the company’s portfolio and the architect behind the turn around of the business from 5% to 15%.
Vittal is an alumnus of Madras Christian College and has completed his MBA from IIM, Kolkata.