Venkatesan Babu, CR – CA India, Head of Sales – FOM – India & EMEA, Covestro
Venkatesan Babu brings over three decades of experience in specialty materials and telecom infrastructure. He began his career in 1993 with Sterlite Technologies Limited – spending 15 years in commercial – optical fibre cables. He joined Covestro in April 2021 and is currently the India country representative for coatings and adhesives and head of sales for fibre optic materials across India and EMEA.
He believes networks are being pushed by fibre-to-the-X roll-outs, hyperscale data centres, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven applications and smart cities. With India’s fibre optic cable market growing at over 10 per cent, he says the prospects are significant, and his target is to “strengthen Covestro’s position as the preferred material science partner” for this growth.
Babu expects the next phase to be shaped by AI-led infrastructure growth, 5G densification and deeper fibreisation, and broadband expansion through initiatives such as BharatNet. “Data governance and regulatory clarity are strengthening the digital ecosystem. The enactment of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, provides a formal framework for data processing and cross-border transfers, supporting sustained investment in digital infrastructure”, he adds.
Material science, he says, is essential to making India’s digital infrastructure ambitions real. “Tomorrow’s networks require more than incremental improvements,” he notes. Covestro is developing advanced polymer materials engineered for fibre optic cable deployment, focused on wear resistance, long-lasting durability, protection in harsh environments and protection from high temperatures.
His responsibilities span business leadership, customer engagement and collaboration with technical service, R&D, and planning teams. He cites customer centricity, connecting technology to business value and empowering teams as key strengths. His management style is “collaborative and empowering, with high accountability,” anchored in clear goals, accessibility and recognising wins.
Babu holds an MBA degree and invests in continuous learning through industry forums and seminars. Outside work, he stays active through fitness, badminton and marathon running. His family includes his wife and two sons. “I am blessed with a supportive family that has been the foundation of everything I have achieved professionally. My spouse is the backbone of our family – a homemaker who has created the stable, nurturing environment that allows me to focus on my demanding role”, he adds.
