Bharat B. Bhatia Appointed Vice Chairman and Editorial Chair of APT’s WRC-27 Preparatory Group in July 2025.

Appointment

In July 2025, Bharat B. Bhatia, President of the ITU-APT Foundation of India (IAFI), was appointed as Vice Chairman and Editorial Committee Chair of the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) Preparatory Group for the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27), also referred to as APG-27. His appointment was formalized during the plenary session held in Pattaya, Thailand from July 28 to August 1, 2025.


      - Bharat Bhatia has been selected to serve as both Vice Chairman and Editorial Chair for APG-27, the regional coordination body preparing for WRC-27. His dual role will involve guiding high-level deliberations and overseeing the drafting of regional contributions to global radio spectrum standards.

      - His nomination was proposed by Nobuyuki Kawai of Japan, the Chairman of APG-27, and received unanimous approval from the Heads of Delegation representing 30 Asia-Pacific countries, demonstrating regional consensus and confidence in his leadership.

     

Main Point :-   (i) Bharat B. Bhatia has served over two decades in the Indian Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications. He played a pivotal role in the creation of India’s first National Frequency Allocation Plan (NFAP) in 1981 and spearheaded the rollout of the country's first GSM networks in 1992.

      (ii) As a 22-year veteran of the Indian Radio Regulatory Service (IRRS), Bharat Bhatia contributed significantly to shaping India’s national spectrum policy and regulatory structure, making him a key figure in India’s telecom and wireless governance ecosystem.

(iii) Beyond regional responsibilities, Bhatia chairs the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Working Group tasked with framing global IMT (International Mobile Telecommunications) standards, including those for 5G and upcoming 6G networks. His appointment to APG-27 further reinforces his influence on global spectrum and mobile technology policy.

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