An old hand in the telecom business, Satish Kannan finds it extremely challenging and exciting to work for a ?young telecom operator? like Uninor. ?We have made an impact by setting up the business from scratch and acquiring customers in a highly competitive market,? says Kannan, Uninor?s circle business head for Andhra Pradesh. ?We are one of the fastest growing brands across the six circles where we offer telecom services.?
To stay ahead of his rivals, the company?s strategy is to offer lower tariffs than the competition, coupled with best-in-class services. Kannan seems satisfied with the results. The service provider?s subscriber base has been increasing steadily, he says, and the Andhra Pradesh circle is moving closer to profitability.
Indeed, the main challenge before Uninor and the telecom industry is to remain profitable in the face of increasing operational costs. Elaborating on this, he says, ?Productivity is going to be a key driver as increasing costs would mean more pressure on margins. To drive down costs, operators will need to focus on efficient spectrum utilisation. Moreover, companies will have to work towards enhancing the customer experience in order to stay ahead of the competition in a multiple-SIM market. Data will emerge as a lucrative revenue stream.?
Kannan has more than two decades of work experience with expertise in areas such as sales and marketing. He has worked across diverse sectors including financial services, engineering, telecommunications as well as appliances. Kannan has in the past worked with companies such as BPL Mobiles and Hutchison Essar (now Vodafone India). The biggest lessons he learnt from his stints at these two telecom companies was that one needs to have sound consumer and market insight in order to deliver organisational goals.
Kannan is passionate about his work and thrives amidst challenges. ?I do not give up on a task until it is finished,? he says. He also believes in the value people bring to an organisation. ?People make a huge difference to any organisation. I believe in grooming people for various roles, and providing career opportunities to high performers.?
Time off from work is spent with his wife and two children. To stay fit and healthy, he practises yoga. Kannan is an avid Formula 1 follower and enjoys watching the sport, aside from soccer and cricket.
