IMC 2025: Airtel MD Gopal Vittal calls for collective efforts to combat digital fraud, says regulation needs to match pace

Calling for collective measures to combat digital fraud, Bharti Airtel managing director and GSMA chairman, Gopal Vittal, on Wednesday urged the need to set up global institutions such as a “fraud bureau” to fight against scams and online threats. He also said that regulation needs to keep pace with the fast-evolving landscape of digital risks, pointing out that while telecoms face stringent oversight, much of the digital economy still operates “like the wild west.” 

“Connectivity today is like a fundamental right. If it’s taken away, the impact is catastrophic, from banking and aviation to payments. But beyond connectivity, the real questions are about trust, security, and inclusion,” Vittal said at the India Mobile Congress 2025.

While India has solved the problem of connectivity, the next challenge lies in safeguarding users and strengthening institutional collaboration, he said. “The entire ecosystem must come together… Technology is evolving faster than regulation. Regulators globally still focus narrowly on telecom, while the bigger trust and security issues lie across the wider digital ecosystem.”

Citing how Airtel had blocked 48 billion spam messages and 3.5 lakh fraudulent links since launching its spam detection initiative, he said, “No company can do this alone.” 

He added that incidents of financial scams and cybercrime were eroding public trust. Citing the example of a retired individual who lost all his savings to online fraud, Vittal said, “Globally, over a trillion dollars is lost every year to digital fraud. Trust is a fundamental issue.” 

Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar acknowledged that while India has a “decent regulatory structure,” rapid technological change requires faster adaptation. “We must promote innovation and regulate simultaneously,” he said, while expanding on how the government is exploring ways to use anonymised data sets to encourage AI research responsibly.