IOH CEO gets five-year extension as AI strategy pays off

• Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH) is one of the leading AI-native telcos in Asia Pacific
• It is extending Vikram Sinha’s term as CEO for a further five years
• The telco’s board wants Sinha to continue implementing the company’s AI North Star strategy, which is set to drive revenue and ARPU growth 

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (IOH), the second-largest operator in Indonesia and one of Asia Pacific’s leading AI-native telcos, is extending Vikram Sinha’s term as president director and CEO for a further five years, with the move to be formalised at IOH’s upcoming annual general meeting of shareholders (AGM). 

“This extension reflects the board of commissioners’ continued confidence in his leadership in continuing the company’s long-term transformation and implementing its AI North Star strategy,” noted the company, which was formed as a result of the 2022 merger of Indosat Ooredoo and PT Hutchison 3 Indonesia.  

The telco’s board of commissioners noted “the significant progress achieved since the merger in 2022, which has transformed Indosat into a stronger, more resilient and future-ready company. As we enter the next phase of our transformation, Indosat is committed to accelerating the implementation of our AI North Star strategy to deepen customer love, build Indonesia’s sovereign AI ecosystem, and create sustainable long-term value for customers, shareholders and the nation.” 

Nezar Patria, president commissioner of Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, stated: “Indosat has proven that a clear vision, disciplined execution and consistent leadership will generate value that continues to grow over time. Entering the next phase of transformation, with a focus on expanding sovereign AI and realising the company's EBITDA ambitions, the board of commissioners continues to place its trust in Vikram Sinha’s leadership."

IOH reported a strong start to 2026 thanks, in part, to the launch of AI-enabled services, and it expects such services to drive an ongoing increase in its average revenue per user (ARPU) levels throughout 2026. 

The operator, which with 94 million mobile customers is second in the market only to Telkomsel (160 million mobile customers), reported a 12.1% year-on-year increase in first-quarter revenues to 15.22tn Indonesia rupiah (IDR) ($870m) – “the highest quarterly revenue in the company’s history”. 

During the quarter it continued to add to its AI services portfolio by offering access to Google’s Gemini AI Plus as part of its mobile data bundles and launching Sahabat-AI, a “locally developed large language model designed to better understand Indonesian languages and context… Built on a multi-model and multi-modal AI approach, the platform is designed to lower barriers to AI adoption in Indonesia, while expanding access for individuals and organisations to use AI in practical and relevant ways,” the operator noted.  

- Ray Le Maistre, Editorial Director, TelecomTV