Big Plans for BSNL
R.K. Agarwal enjoyed the considerable benefits of being his parents? firstborn after 14 years of waiting and then almost abandoning their desire for a child. As the ?miracle? baby, he was pampered beyond belief and was constantly the centre of attention.
Since the next baby did not turn up for another four years, he enjoyed a pretty good run at having the best of everything.But despite all the attention and indulgence,Agarwal grew up an obedient, wellmannered and undemanding child, like the vast majority of middle-class sons of that generation. ?It was a happy childhood,? he says. ?Nothing much happened and entertainment was limited to relatives visiting us.It was peaceful and good.?
His father, a successful builder in Meerut, was very particular about his son’s health and education. Although he had built his business mainly constructing government buildings, Agarwal senior thought his son should pursue a profession. That inevitably meant becoming a qualified engineer.
Agarwal attended the local convent school but his education continued far beyond school hours with his father actively participating in it, taking notes from textbooks to help him, and gently encouraging him to excel. There was no emphasis placed on sports in their quiet life in Meerut. Studies dominated the family routine. It was only later, at university, that he plunged into sports with a vengeance.
His father’s wishes were amply fulfilled when Agarwal, who consistently topped at school, finished high school at the age of 13. Most students take about two years more. He went on to do his M.Sc. at Meerut University, an engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore, and an M.Tech from IIT Delhi in 1975.
Agarwal, now director, planning and new services with telecom major BSNL, joined the Department of Telecommunications and worked in various fields, such as the installation of C-400 Cross Bar Exchanges. He was sent to France for training in the installation of digital electronic exchanges of E-10B make in 1983 and later worked as deputy general manager, installation, for E-10B exchanges in Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), Mumbai, from 1983 till 1991.
From 1991 to 1996, Agarwal was in the Sultanate of Oman, on deputation from Telecommunications Consultants India Limited. It turned out to be one of his favourite assignments. He was based there for five years ?? along with his wife and two children ?? and handled all the projects related to setting up the external plant network for copper cable and optical fibre networks.
“It’s a very welcoming country with great discipline and well-defined systems. I could achieve there what I do here with 25 per cent of the effort. There were no cultural problems at all as it is a very open country with no restrictions on expats celebrating festivals or practising their faith. There was a large Indian community and we fitted in well,” he says.
On his return to India, he went off to the remote Andaman & Nicobar Islands as chief general manager, again with the family. Laying out networks was difficult. “Connectivity was a problem because whereas in other places you can use terrestrial connectivity or optic fibre, the islands are so remote that only satellite could be used. And there was no infrastructure, so all the tower material had to be carried by hand or on bicycle through dense forests. We were not allowed to venture into the areas where the protected tribes live,” he says.
Agarwal was posted as general manager, development, in Pune in 1999 and was in charge of the planning and installation of all switching and transmission networks in Pune district. He is particularly happy about his time as general manager, PGM (mobile), in Maharashtra circle, because he was involved with the introduction of new technology in the country and in making national policy decisions. He was closely involved with the planning, tender evaluation, and implementation and maintenance of GSM mobile services in Maharashtra.
At present, home is near Janpath Hotel in New Delhi. He is never back before 8.30-9 at night, and once he has had dinner and watched the news, he settles down to clear his files. This can take up to midnight or even later.
“I have to do it. I feel uneasy if I retire for the day having left something pending,” he says. Music helps him concentrate during these long evening sessions. Agarwal loves music? from oldies such as K.L. Saigal to the new generation of singers. In fact, he used to play music constantly in his office. “It makes me work more efficiently, but these days there are so many meetings that I can’t keep it on. Some people could find it distracting or irritating, so I have to switch it off.”
During his long career in telecom, he has been lucky enough to be in the van of all the major revolutions, from pioneering the introduction of digital electronic exchanges to the mobile revolution and now, pushing broadband, CDMA and Wi-Max.
His short-term goal for BSNL is to catch up with operators such as Vodafone and Reliance Communications and retain its leadership position in broadband. His long-term goal is to regain BSNL’s leadership position in terms of customer base.
“BSNL hopes to reach a target of about 200 million connections by 2010 and 300 million by 2012,” he says. “This will help the country retain its leadership with regard to the largest number of customer additions per month. It will also help the country benefit from the telecom revolution as it reaches out to every rural household.”
The Indian telecom sector saw an addition of more than 10 million subscribers in October 2008, probably the highest addition in a month by any country in the recent past. Agarwal intends BSNL to contribute to this growth going forward, and keep up the pace of subscriber additions.
“I am very optimistic that services like 3G and m-commerce will be introduced on a large scale in India. There is a recession, but we in the telecom sector are very optimistic and impatient to introduce WiMax and broadband 2.0,” says Agarwal.
As a BSNL board member, he is responsible for overall network planning, procurement of equipment, transmission networks, and broadband, including both wireline and wireless, and the expansion of value-added services.
When he speaks of BSNL, the deep pride is obvious. “BSNL’s biggest strength is that it has the largest telecom network in the country, which was unparalleled till recently. We have the strongest, most capable and largest manpower team in Indian telecom,” he says. “We also feel that the trust people have in BSNL is a great asset. It’s true that we are lacking in certain areas owing to the government rules and regulations under which BSNL has to operate. But the management is trying its best to overcome these hurdles.”
For successful results, his management style, which has evolved over the years, is a mix of delegating freely to subordinates and helping them in technical and administrative matters. It has certainly delivered results.
For leisure, Agarwal plays tennis whenever he can and reads technical books to keep himself abreast of the latest developments in the industry.
His wife Renu is accustomed to his long hours. She has endured them from the first days of their marriage. “She is very supportive and copes with my long hours and heavy travelling schedule. In fact, she helps in organising my files and papers at home,” he says appreciatively.
Post-retirement, a few years down the line, Agarwal wants to continue working in telecom, perhaps as a consultant.
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