Published On : Thu, Oct 27th, 2016

Sunil Mittal elected as GSMA chairman for 2 Years

Advertisement
Sunil Mittal

File Pic


New Delhi/Nagpur:
Global telecom industry body GSMA Thursday announced to have elected Bharti Airtel Founder Sunil Bharti Mittal as its new chairman. He will be replacing the current GSMA chairman Jon Fredrik Baksaas who will step down from the board at the of December.

With this Mittal became the first Indian to head the global telecom industry association and he would hold the position as GSMA chairman for a period 2 years beginning January 2017.

As GSMA chairman, Mittal will oversee the strategic direction of the organisation, which represents nearly 800 of the world’s mobile operators, as well as more than 300 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, Bharti airtel said in a statement.

As the new GSMA chairman (chair-elect) the first thing Mittal did was to lead the GSMA Board delegation at a meeting with the Indian Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on Wednesday afternoon. In a broad-ranging discussion, the meeting highlighted the pivotal role of mobile in delivering the government’s Digital India vision of broadband as a utility for every citizen, bringing digital and financial inclusion to every corner of the country.

“In my new global role, I am excited to support the ongoing mobile broadband revolution in India to boost the Government’s Digital India Program and its vision of broadband access for all”, said Mittal.

“In a relatively brief period of time, mobile has had a transformational impact on individuals, businesses, industries and societies, contributing significantly to local economies and improving the lives of billions around the world. I am excited about what the next chapter holds for us, as we work to connect everyone and everything to a better future,” he added.

The GSMA also elected the new members of the 26-member Board and re-elected Mari-Noëlle Jego-Laveissiere, Executive Vice President, Innovation, Orange Group as Deputy Chair for the two-year period.

The current GSMA chairman Baksaas will step down after holding this position for the past three years and was elected as a member of the GSMA Board in 2008.