R. Sridharan, President and CEO, Birla Ericsson Optical Limited

As president and chief executive officer (CEO) at Birla Ericsson Optical Limited, R. Sridharan is responsible for day-to-day business operations with a primary focus on customer acquisition, marketing and business development, and technology upgradation. He also leads the company?s new business initiatives.

Talking about business opportunities in the optical fibre cables (OFC) segment, Sridharan says, ?Although the uptake of OFC is not encouraging at present, the requirement is expected to multiply from 2013 onwards. The demand for OFC is going to be driven by big-ticket infrastructure projects, such as the National Optical Fibre Network and the Network for Spectrum Project for Defence Forces, being initiated by the government.?

?The 4G broadband wireless network expansion by private telecom operators is also expected to drive significant consumption of OFC. Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) is another technology that will reach out to subscribers for a fastest triple-play experience in the access network during the next three years, and OFC will play a major role in this,? he adds. Meanwhile, the company is focusing on exports to boost its OFC business.

In a career spanning over two decades, Sridharan has always followed a hands-on approach to work. He believes in looking into core issues to arrive at the right solutions.

After obtaining a B.Sc. in applied sciences from the Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai Kamaraj University, Sridharan went on to pursue a BS in engineering technology from the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani.

Sridharan worked with a number of companies including Vindhya Telelinks Limited, Birla Furukawa Fibre Optics Limited, Universal Cables Limited and the M.P. Birla Group, rising through the ranks to reach the top management position. He fondly recalls his early days, working on the shop-floor, where he gained valuable experience in machine operation, maintenance and quality assurance of various telecom cable products comprising fibre and copper.

He attributes his success so far to sheer hard work and dedication. Sridharan?s most memorable and challenging assignment was turning around a loss-making unit. He terms this effort to help the business unit come out of the red as the defining moment of his career. ?The experience taught me a valuable lesson ? that through prudent utilisation of resources and team building, one can achieve benchmarking standards in the industry,? he says.