The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the apex industry body representing India's digital communications sector, successfully concluded its Annual General Body Meeting for FY 2025–26 in New Delhi on June 18. The meeting brought together members to review sectoral developments, deliberate on emerging priorities, and chart the roadmap for strengthening India's digital communications ecosystem.
New Leadership for 2026–27
At the meeting, COAI announced its leadership for the year ahead. Rahul Vatts, Group Chief Regulatory Officer and Director, Corporate Affairs at Bharti Airtel Limited, will serve as Chairperson. Dr. Ravi P. Gandhi, Chief Regulatory Officer at Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., will serve as Vice-Chairperson.
Vatts, a telecom veteran with 29 years of experience, leads Airtel's government relations, policy, and regulatory engagements across mobility, broadband, DTH, data centres, submarine cables, and digital businesses. He also chairs GSMA's Spectrum Policy Working Group and is a member of GSMA's Global Policy Group.
Dr. Gandhi brings over three decades of expertise in public policy, telecom regulation, and network operations. A former officer of the Indian Telecom Services, he has held key positions in the Department of Telecommunications and previously served as Chief Regulatory Officer at Airtel. He holds a Ph.D. from IIT Delhi and a B.Tech from NIT Kurukshetra.
Sector Outlook
Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General of COAI, said: “India's telecom sector is at a critical stage of transformation, with digital communications infrastructure increasingly serving as the foundation of the country's digital economy. As technologies such as AI, 5G Advanced, satellite communications and future 6G systems evolve, the sector will play an even greater role in enabling innovation, inclusion and economic growth.”
He added that COAI will continue to work closely with the government, regulators, and industry stakeholders to support trusted communications, investment-friendly policy frameworks, and secure, resilient, future-ready infrastructure.
COAI reiterated its commitment to constructive policy engagement and collaborative industry efforts to support India's vision of becoming a globally competitive digital economy powered by robust communications infrastructure.
