Rahul Vatts appointed COAI chairperson for FY27; Ravi P. Gandhi named vice-chairperson

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), the apex industry body representing India’s digital communications sector, concluded its Annual General Body Meeting for FY25–26, outlining priorities for the sector’s next phase of growth and announcing its leadership team for 2026–27. 

At the meeting, COAI members reviewed key developments in the telecom and digital communications landscape, discussed emerging industry priorities, and outlined a roadmap to strengthen India’s digital infrastructure ecosystem. 

Rahul Vatts, Group Chief Regulatory Officer and Director – Corporate Affairs at Bharti Airtel Ltd., has been appointed Chairperson of COAI for FY27 while Ravi P. Gandhi, Chief Regulatory Officer at Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., will serve as Vice-Chairperson. 

Vatts brings nearly three decades of experience across telecom and broadcasting licensing, economic regulation, spectrum management and regulatory litigation. In his current role at Bharti Airtel, he oversees government relations, public policy and regulatory engagement across mobility, broadband, DTH, data centres, submarine cable networks, international operations and digital businesses. 

He also serves as Chair of the GSMA Spectrum Policy Working Group and is a member of GSMA’s Global Policy Group and Spectrum Strategy and Management Group. 

Gandhi, a veteran telecom professional with more than 30 years of experience, has held leadership positions across public policy, telecom regulation and network operations. Before joining Reliance Jio, he served as Chief Regulatory Officer at Bharti Airtel and held several key positions in the Department of Telecommunications as an officer of the Indian Telecom Services. 

He holds a Ph.D. from IIT Delhi and a B.Tech degree from NIT Kurukshetra. 

Commenting on the developments, Lt. Gen. Dr. S.P. Kochhar, Director General of COAI, said India’s telecom sector is entering a critical phase of transformation, with digital communications infrastructure increasingly becoming the backbone 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,” Kochhar said. 

He added that COAI looks forward to working closely with the government, regulators and industry stakeholders to support trusted communications networks, investment-friendly policies and the development of secure, resilient and future-ready digital infrastructure. 

COAI reaffirmed its commitment to constructive policy engagement and collaborative industry efforts to advance India’s ambition of becoming a globally competitive digital economy supported by robust communications infrastructure.