Pramod Srivastava
CEO, West Coast Optilinks
Pramod Srivastava has over three decades of experience in the fields of optical fibre, optical fibre cable (OFC) and telecom services business. During his career, he has worked in various functions, geographies and business situations across organisations such as STL (erstwhile Sterlite Technologies), Siemens (and its joint venture [JV] in Vietnam), Aksh Optifibre, Orient Cables and Optel Telecommunications. Currently, he serves as CEO of West Coast Optilinks, where he is responsible for driving the growth of the business.
Assessing the prospects of the telecom sector, he says, “We are quite optimistic about India’s telecom growth story. However, volatility in the telecom services market, delays in the execution of large projects and slow 5G deployment are posing challenges in sustaining business growth. Globally, the telecom market is also facing challenges due to several factors such as evolving geopolitical situations and the reduction in China’s spending on telecom.”
Regarding his most memorable assignment, Srivastava recalls his work with a Siemens JV in Vietnam, where, as the production manager, he got the opportunity to work with people from various nationalities – German, French, Filipino, Vietnamese, etc. “Working together towards successfully establishing OFC operations and getting the best out of local talent was a great experience.”
Another memorable period during his career was working with BharatNet and other projects under the government’s Digital India programme. “This gave me an opportunity to interact with policymakers, telecom secretaries of states and other officials. Though it was quite different from running large manufacturing operations, I was thrilled to contribute towards several initiatives to speed up OFC deployment in the country,” he says.
His leadership style involves employing a collaborative and consultative approach. “I believe people are a great asset to any organisation, and my strength lies in getting the best out of them. I ensure that everyone in the ecosystem is progressing together,” he notes.
Srivastava began his primary education in a village under the guidance of his grandfather who was a teacher. He later completed his engineering at Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur. When not working, he loves to watch movies, follow cricket and spend time in nature. His family comprises his wife and their two sons. “My wife was an IT professional but chose to take the bigger role of raising our sons due to my hectic schedule. Our elder son is an engineer working for a US multinational organisation, while our younger son is currently in college”, he adds.
