Head of India

Department: APAC Region 

Team: Advocacy

Location: India (New Delhi Office)

Position type: Permanent, Full-Time

What the hiring manager says

This role is about more than just operational leadership; it is about embodying authority and professional excellence to command the attention of the Indian mobile industry. You will serve as a distinguished leader within the digital ecosystem, providing high-level strategic direction to maximise the GSMA's impact across the landscape. By navigating the highest levels of government and industry with absolute integrity, you will ensure the complex dynamics of the mobile industry’s role in the development of one of the world’s largest Digital Nations are integrated into our strategy and plan.

About the Team

The APAC team is a dynamic and cross-functional group dedicated to unlocking the power of connectivity across the region. As part of this team, we work to unify the mobile ecosystem, drive innovation, and advocate for positive policy environments while allowing for the diverse nature of the APAC region. You will be joining a team that values collaboration and regional alignment, working closely with all of APAC’s leadership to coordinate resources and secure the voice of India across regional programs.

About the role

As the Head of India, you will act as the senior GSMA representative in country, cultivating trusted, high-level relationships with government officials, regulators, industry captains, and ecosystem partners. You will navigate complex political and commercial landscapes with integrity to advance the industry's position, ensuring the GSMA’s voice is heard and respected in critical policy debates.

Beyond external advocacy, you will be responsible for operational and cultural leadership. You will guide the health and culture of the Delhi office, fostering an inclusive environment that positions GSMA as a preferred corporate workplace while overseeing the local execution of advocacy efforts to maximise member value.

Strategically, you will provide timely, expert advice to the Head of APAC and global leadership by monitoring the intersection of market trends, geopolitical shifts, and policy developments. You will ensure the Indian market's perspective is accurately reflected in global objectives. Additionally, you will influence and mentor subordinates and cross-functional teams without reliance on direct structural authority, coaching peers on the nuances of the Indian market to optimise their impact.

About You

To succeed in this role, you must possess extensive experience in the mobile, ICT, or technology sector, with a proven track record as a respected leader in the digital ecosystem. You will bring an established network of relevant senior government, regulatory, and industry stakeholders, enabling you to engage credibly from day one and open doors at the highest levels. You will need a deep awareness of the interworking dynamics of geopolitics, industrial policy, and commercial imperatives, applying this knowledge to strategic decision-making.

We are looking for a leader with elite communication capabilities, capable of adjusting your style to effectively engage and influence the top levels of government and industry. You must demonstrate the ability to build consensus, influence outcomes, and leverage trusted relationships across senior public-sector, regulatory, operator, and wider ecosystem communities, while mentoring stakeholders across a matrixed environment without direct reporting lines.

Your personal qualities are just as important as your professional background. You should convey an immediate sense of gravitas and professional maturity that draws attention and commands respect. You must operate without compromising integrity, navigating sensitive environments with discretion and honour. Finally, you will be a strategic thinker with an adaptable leadership style that fosters collaboration, supported by a well-established and actively maintained network of senior government and industry relationships within the market.

About your skills

To succeed in this high-stakes environment, you will rely heavily on Diplomacy and Stakeholder Management to navigate the complex political landscape and cultivate trusted relationships with government officials and industry captains. Because this position requires guiding peers and global management without direct reporting lines, you must demonstrate exceptional Influence to build consensus and mentor stakeholders effectively. Your Leadership will be critical not only in representing the GSMA externally with gravitas but also in fostering a positive office culture and operational excellence. Finally, deep Commercial Awareness is vital to understanding the interworking dynamics of geopolitics and industrial policy, ensuring strategic decisions reflect both local market realities and global commercial imperatives

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Worker type

What We Offer

Working at the GSMA offers you unparalleled access to the mobile industry. We offer a chance to truly shape the direction of mobile, whatever your role. By joining the GSMA, you will be exposed to a fast-paced rapidly evolving environment, working on global solutions, genuinely fascinating and industry-changing projects and a stimulating and dynamic environment designed to enable you to flourish.

In addition to architect-designed offices and competitive compensation, our benefits include fantastic learning & development opportunities, generous holiday allowances, four additional days off for professional development and many others.

To learn more about the GSMA, visit our career site, our LinkedIn page and our Twitter page.

Being You at the GSMA

We care deeply about diversity, equity and inclusivity and aspire to be the best at it. Your well-being and work/life balance is important, so flexi-time and remote working is available to all staff. We're keen to ensure everyone is equal, represented and connected so we particularly encourage applications from all demographics. The sucess of the GSMA year on year will continue to be contributed by people from all walks of life.

GSMA Values

Our values not only drive our culture – they shape how we work and interact inside and outside our global organisation.

Passionately driven

We approach everything we do with unparalleled capability, tenacity and commitment, knowing that the challenging scale, pace and complexity of our work is what leads to its world-changing impact.

Insightful leaders

We continually develop and engage our expertise, insight and creativity so that we’re always ready to respond to the changing landscape with authority, agility and nuance.

Stronger together

We lean on each other so the industry can lean on us, embracing our diversity by actively seeking out perspectives and skill sets beyond our own, fuelling each other’s successes and constantly asking how we can help.

Underpinning our values is our collective mindset to show up purposefully as good human beings every day, in every situation. When we’re at our best – we are collaborative, considerate and compassionate to others, and we create a safe space for one another to thrive, assuming positive intent in our colleagues. And if we aren’t at our best and the pressure is on – we feel free to be ourselves but still remain curious, lean into the tough stuff and we are always respectful to others and accountable for the part we play.