Atul Bhatnagar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Cambium Networks

In a career spanning over three decades, Atul Bhat­na­gar has been associated with companies such as Ixia, Nortel and HP in key leadership roles. He currently serves as president and CEO of Cambium Net­works, a US-based company that has shipped over 5 million wireless broadband modules to network operators.

According to Bhatnagar, “Of the 7 billion people in the world, about 4.5 billion are either unconnected or under-connected. Also, there is a growing need to connect pla­ces and things. The industry and the government are seeing the benefits of connecting buildings, sensors, equipment and security cameras to im­pro­ve processes. As network ope­ra­­tors address these needs, wireless connectivity will beco­me the most attractive solution. Our vision at Cam­bium is to connect the unconnected. That goal inclu­des connecting people, places and things in an affordable way, while maintaining high quality.” In India, Cam­bium is working with telecom operators like Tata Com­munica­tions, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications. Ini­­­tiatives like smart cities and rural banking are spurring grow­th for the firm in India.

Bhatnagar joined Cambi­um in 2013. As CEO, he is involved in all parts of the business, ensuring a quality-focus at all levels. Under his guidance, Cambium created the longest point-to-point wire­­­less link on record. The team was able to achieve a single point-to-point link from Pike’s Peak in Colorado, over the city of Denver, to Cheye­n­ne Moun­tain in Wyo­ming, a distance of 245 km. “This was an exciting milestone for me, for the engineers and for the company as a whole,” he says.

Bhatnagar has an M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of New Mexico, USA, and a bachelor’s from BITS, Pilani. While his schedule involves hectic travel and multiple meetings, Bhatnagar relishes the simple joys of life like gardening and hiking. He also loves going for long walks with his dog, Kona, and enjoys mentoring emerging leaders and entrepreneurs. His family comprises his wife and five children. “My wife Ranjana is an educator and is very passionate about early childhood education. She teaches in San Jose City College, Califor­­nia,” he says. “Our children are all grown up and confidently car­ving their own paths in life. Ashish is a digital marketing professional and Munish is an audio engineer. Vaishali is a budding lawyer and has started a law firm in USA, while Tara is a sales manager in a hi-tech firm and Radhika is an avid equestrian, who has just graduated from high school.”