Nokia appoints Samar Mittal and Vibha Mehra to lead India operations

Nokia has appointed Samar Mittal as India Country Business Leader and Vibha Mehra as India Country Manager, signalling a renewed push to strengthen its presence in one of its most strategic markets.

The appointments will take effect from April 1, 2026, according to a company announcement.

A DUAL LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE

The move introduces a two-pronged leadership structure, with distinct but complementary responsibilities.

Mittal will lead Nokia’s business strategy in India, focusing on executing its go-to-market approach and deepening engagement with telecom operators, cloud providers, and enterprise clients.

His mandate includes aligning Nokia’s portfolio with the evolving needs of the Indian market while identifying new growth opportunities.

Mehra, meanwhile, will oversee the company’s country-level presence, with responsibility for communications, government relations, and external engagement.

She will lead efforts to strengthen Nokia’s positioning with policymakers and stakeholders, an increasingly critical function in a sector shaped by regulation and geopolitical considerations.

INTERNAL LEADERSHIP WITH GLOBAL EXPERIENCE

Both appointments reflect Nokia’s preference for internal leadership with international exposure.

Mittal previously served as Vice President at Nokia, most recently heading the Cloud and Network Services business across the Middle East and Africa. His experience spans key growth markets and emerging technology segments, including cloud infrastructure and network services.

Mehra, prior to this role, led government relations for Nokia across the Asia Pacific region, overseeing geopolitical strategy and stakeholder engagement.

Their combined experience positions them to manage both the commercial and regulatory dimensions of Nokia’s operations in India.

INDIA AS A STRATEGIC MARKET

The leadership change comes as India continues to play a central role in Nokia’s global strategy.

The country’s rapidly expanding 5G ecosystem, growing enterprise demand, and increasing focus on digital infrastructure make it a key battleground for telecom and technology providers.

Nokia has been actively aligning its offerings across telecom networks, AI-led solutions, and enterprise services to capture this opportunity.

The appointments suggest a sharper focus on execution—bringing together market strategy, partner ecosystems, and policy alignment under a more defined leadership structure.

A BROADER TREND IN LEADERSHIP DESIGN

The dual leadership model also reflects a broader shift in how global companies are structuring country operations.

As People Matters has noted in its coverage of leadership transitions, organisations are increasingly separating business execution from stakeholder and policy engagement, particularly in complex markets like India.

This allows companies to move faster on commercial priorities while maintaining strong institutional relationships.

WHAT COMES NEXT

Mittal and Mehra are expected to work closely to advance Nokia’s priorities in India, particularly in areas such as telecom partnerships, enterprise growth, and government engagement.

Their immediate focus will likely centre on translating market opportunity into execution—balancing growth ambitions with the operational and regulatory realities of the sector.

As competition intensifies and technology cycles shorten, the effectiveness of this leadership structure will be tested in how quickly Nokia can scale its impact in the Indian market.

Leadership