Ravi Shankar Rai
Managing Director, Savitri Telecom Services
Ravi Shankar Rai established Savitri Telecom Services in 1999, which later grew into a bigger group of companies involved in diverse telecom segments. The Savitri Group has seven business verticals – test and measurement (T&M) and technology solutions, manufacturing, repair and calibration, project/engineering, procurement and construction, O&M, infrastructure, and leasing of T&M instruments. Over the years, the group has catered to the needs of major telecom operators, government departments, defence, railways, PSUs and other allied business segments.
As managing director, Rai is at the helm of affairs in the company. “It is my job to nurture young talent and create a team that collectively runs the show,” he says. He believes in creating an environment where everyone contributes to the organisation. In fact, he says, “I consider my organisation as an extension of my family, and this forms the basis of my leadership.”
Rai is upbeat about the telecom sector. According to him, the mobile phone is a modern-day genie that fulfils user demand instantly. “I see several new applications being invented and introduced, which will make our day-to-day lives simpler. Artificial intelligence will assume a bigger role in all spheres of our lives, going forward. 5G will be another big game changer and will help the country keep pace with its global counterparts. With the advent of 5G technology, people will be doing things very differently, things that are unimaginable at this point in time,” he says.
While the technology prospects are bright for the industry, there are several challenges too. “Everybody is in cost-cutting mode and that translates into a pricing challenge for us. Providing high-quality products at low price points (as per market expectations) is very difficult. That said, we have taken this challenge in our stride by diving deeper into innovation and creating new industry standards for achieving operational efficiencies.”
Despite the challenges and the ongoing turmoil in the sector, Rai is positive about growth returning. “Growth in the sector is certain. The turmoil will soon die down, resulting in the formation of big companies with a reasonable market share,” he notes.
Rai is an electronics and communication engineer. In his free time, he likes to travel. “I enjoy exploring new places, meeting people and absorbing new cultures. I love nature and have been to places that are less explored and have beautiful natural surroundings.”
