A Defined Focus
Sunanda Das has been the youngest member of his team virtually anywhere he has worked. When he spent a decade working with Indian multi-nationals, including the Tatas, he would invariably be the youngest person around. During these years, he took multiple internal transfers, as he was always raring to take on new challenges.
After having worked with Associated Cement Companies and Essar Steel, he joined Cable & Wireless in 1998 as chief financial officer. A year later, he became managing director, heading the company’s operations in India and establishing a strong presence in the Indian market.
Cable & Wireless provides connectivity to 153 countries. It was the first international telecom service provider in India to obtain all the necessary security clearances from the governmant to launch the full spectrum of international long distance services.
“We have launched some of our key global products in the Indian market and customers are going to experience improved service levels, riding on our global next-generation infrastructure,” says Das.
The company has made large investments in its multi service platform (MSP), through which it aims to improve quality and performance, reduce costs for customers as well as provide a platform to deliver high quality managed IP services.
With the launch of the MSP, Cable & Wireless has become the first international telecom service provider to offer a full spectrum of IP-based services directly to its corporate customers in India.
“We have always ensured continued investment in the infrastructure and services that our customers need in order to support their businesses in this region,” he says. “Our strong ability to be flexible is an important aspect of our business in these changing conditions. We believe that it is important to listen to our customers and innovate, giving them the right global solutions.”
It has been an exhilarating time for him, building up Cable & Wireless’s business in India from scratch. “We have had moments of disappointment but looking back, it gives me great joy to see how far we have come. It elates me to watch my colleagues ?? past and present ?? making their own mark in the industry,” he says.
Das believes that it is very important for a leader to be agile, adjust quickly to a new environment, demonstrate leadership traits early on, carry the team along and keep learning. “All my assignments, including every change of job, have been guided by a strong desire to learn something new,” he says.
His current aim at Cable & Wireless is to serve telecom users by providing them with high quality managed IP services. “We want to be known for delivering a great customer experience. We want the solutions we provide to be valuable for our customers and economical for the company,” he says.
Das is also focusing on reducing costs and improving efficiency which, he says, is part of a wider global trend as economies go through a period of turbulent change. But as enterprises become more conscious of their spending on IT and telecom solutions, he sees an opportunity with companies in the US looking at offshoring as a viable financial option.
On future trends, Das points out that since organisations globally are facing the constant challenge to minimise costs and yet improve their IT infrastructure, telecom service providers can play a significant role by offering next-generation converged networks with advanced managed IP solutions such as managed video conferencing or application performance management that can deliver the required cost saving.
“Enterprises stand to gain by looking for service providers who can deliver true next-generation communications solutions enabled by the MSP,” he says. “The MSP platform greatly increases Cable & Wireless’s ability to deliver next-generation network services to our customers in India. It provides a faster, more resilient global IP network service with enhanced support, as well as predictable and seamless service delivery to customers everywhere.”
Das sees great potential for managed video conferencing solutions in India because they reduce costs, cut travel and save time. In the current recessionary times, almost all organisations have drastically cut their travel budgets, thus increasing the use of video conferencing. Video conferencing has other benefits as well such as improving employee productivity, and environmental benefits through reduced carbon emissions.
Das describes his company’s approach as very different from that of its rivals. “We have a defined focus on becoming the world’s premier communications integrator, delivering on time and above our customers’ expectations. We haven’t adopted a technology-only approach and work closely with our customers to understand the individual service experience they want and deliver on that.”
Most of Das’s time goes in strategising, inducing innovation and motivation in the team, and staying in touch with customers. “I am good in time management but have to struggle to find enough time for networking,” he says. He likes to analyse his own strengths and weaknesses, and encourages his colleagues and friends in the industry to look objectively at theirs.
“The intention is to allow one to play on one’s strengths and make continuous efforts to improve on the weaknesses,” he says. “Allergic to management books”, Das tends to go by his instinct. He innately trusts people unless proven wrong which has sometimes worked to his disadvantage. “I am always grounded and close to reality. My team finds me practical and to the point. I listen more than I speak. My team never complains that they are not getting enough access to me,” he says.
Where he does have to push himself is in travelling. Das finds it very hard to travel without solid reasons for doing so.
At the same time, he is easily bored by routine. In fact, Das was restless even as a child. His mother was a major source of inspiration. She made huge adjustments to raise Das and his two brothers and dominated his childhood. Das Senior was always in the background, busy providing the family with a comfortable living through his exports and construction business.
“At an early age, I learned to treat every individual with respect. This has always helped me to stay grounded. Moreover, I was fortunate to work closely with a few industry leaders at an early age.Those early lessons from both observation and interaction have always stayed with me,” he says.
As a child, Das wanted to be a doctor but a tutor sparked in him the desire to become a chartered accountant, even though it was unusual that a school topper should pursue commerce.
He went to school in Kolkata and graduated in commerce from St Xavier’s College in 1987. He became a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in 1988 and the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India in 1989.
“To be honest, I did not really like numbers beyond a point. Hence, I moved to the business side from finance and accounts at the first available opportunity,” he reminisces.
Das does not subscribe to the theory of long working hours. “I don’t believe in, and don’t practice (except during emergencies), long working hours,” he says. “I start my day at 10 a.m. and wind up by 7 p.m. And I’ve learnt not to take work home. At the same time, I can’t work from home because I switch off completely.”
He enjoys an occasional game of football, a game he loved as a schoolboy, which he now plays with his son. Gardening is another pleasure, as is golf. Weekends are for the family. A few movies a month and two annual vacations are a must. 
