We, at BSNL, believe in service with smile: Anupam Srivastava

When you joined the telecom industry in 1981, did you imagine that you'd one day become the CMD?

No, I never imagined it, but yes, like all parents, my parents also wanted that I should be able to reach the top of whichever department I work in. Perhaps it is the result of their blessings that I have been able to reach this milestone today.

Didn't you ever want to join the IAS or IPS?

I had considered taking the Civil Services exams, but for some reason or the other, it kept getting postponed. Once, Indira Gandhi was assassinated so the exams were postponed, and then that path got left behind and I took up the path of engineering.

How did you reach the CMD post over your 35-year career?

When I left college, the computer age was just starting, so I wanted to do something in the computer sector, and that's why I started with the Electronics Corporation of India. I worked there for 2-3 years. After that, when the results of the Engineering Services examinations came in, I joined the Telecommunication Department. There, I progressed from SDO, Division Officer and reached all the way to Zimbabwe! At that time, Zimbabwe had only recently gained independence, so there was a lot of progress being made in their telecommunication sector. We would go there as consultants. I worked in Zimbabwe for five years. Then, (I went to) DoT, DTS and finally reached the CMD position at BSNL.

This CMD position that you have, did you get it on merit, or did you have a 'Godfather'?

The CMD selection is conducted by the PSEB. Whenever there used to an interview announcement, I would apply, but was unsuccessful each time. I must have tried 10-12 times. Once, when I was posted in Ajmer, I thought may be it is futile to appear for the interview, perhaps only those persons are chosen who have influence or a 'godfather'. Keeping that in mind, I gave what I had decided would be my last interview. And I gave the interview with the thought that no matter who is interviewing me, I am going to speak openly. And I was selected as Director of Mobile Services. An year later, I again gave an interview, this time for the CMD position, and this time I became the CMD. So I can say that merit does play a part in this system. In my family, no one is a politician or a lawyer, nor do we have any 'influence'. We are a simple middle class family, so we never had a godfather.

How much longer do you have in your CMD term?

Two years.

What has been your greatest contribution in your tenure at BSBL so far?

BSNL started in 2000 and in 2002, we got a mobile licence. Between 2002 and 2006 BSNL grew rapidly. People used to line up for a BSNL SIM card, it became the No. 1 operator. But after 2008, a time came when for some reasons, we could not procure equipment, and private operators raced ahead of us. The procurement process was restarted in 2012. As CMD, I shouldered the mantle and started the work of bringing BSNL back on track. We boosted the morale of officials and employees, and told them that if we have to progress, we have to work a lot. In 2013-14, things got so bad that we went into a negative. Operating profit was (-) Rs 691 crore. But we revived in the next year, and had a operating profit of Rs 672 crore. And in 2015-16, we progressed further to Rs 3,855 crore. Last year has been one of cut-throat competition, in September a new player entered the market but the kind of numbers we are seeing, we are hopeful that we will remain profitable this year, too. The credit for this revival goes to our employees and officers who have heard the call from within themselves to move forward.

How did this miracle happen whereby you went from such a huge loss to profitability?

Most failures can be traced to not taking decisions in time. The directors of the Management Committee of BSNL emphasised that whatever decision needs to be taken should be taken promptly, and implemented just as quickly. In this age of competition, if you are even slightly late, the market doesn't wait for you, it moves ahead. For example, if some private operator launches a new plan, then you have to give something new the next day to match that tariff. Also, one has to stay active in procuring equipment. The telecom industry's equipment are very complex, (they are) different for mobile, different for landline, different for broadband – basically, you need to have comprehensive development.

So, BSNL took quick decisions to arrange for equipment and started work. Sales and marketing had not been a priority for BSNL, so we focused on sales and marketing. As a result, our SIMs started selling. There's a unit called MNP, or mobile number portability. This can be used to detect how many new customers have joined and how many have left you. This number had been negative for the past 7-8 years but in the past 3 years, our MNP has become positive. The government has facilitated a working environment for us wherein we don't have to take permission from anyone before taking a decision. If that decision is correct, no one has attempted to block it.

Was there no interference from the ministry?

Ours is an independent board, we take all our decisions ourselves. The ministry closely monitors our performance, the Minister himself holds meetings with us and sees if our performance is going up or down. So monitoring happens on a constant basis, but there is no blocking.

Manoj Sinha is said to be a quick decision taker, how do you rate the country's telecom ministry?

I think he is one of the best telecom ministers of this country. He is quick to understand (any issue). The Bharat Net project is reaching all villages only because of him. Besides, optical fibre cable has been provided ahead of deadlines, broadband and internet services have also started, all this has been done under his supervision.

Tell us about your project to connect 25,000 villages?

Under the first phase of Bharat Net, 1 lakh gram panchayats are proposed to be connected. In village areas where optical fibre has already reached, those telephone exchanges will be equipped with wi-fi to reach internet connectivity to rural areas. Besides this, in the next six months, 25,000 villages will need to be made wi-fi ready. Not only that, our hotspots will stay connected to the mobile network.

We hear the honourable minister has started satellite service in remote areas?

Starting July 1, BSNL will provide satellite telephones and in the second phase, not only voice, but data services will also be given. The benefit of this will be during travelling – besides airlines and ships, you can use this satellite service to send an emergency message.

What is your road map for the next two years?

We will work with telecom companies, matching their tariffs, to provide telecom services. In the Left wing areas in 10 states where there was no mobile service, such services will be provided through installation of 2,199 towers. This is also being executed with the help of BSNL in Arunachal Pradesh and Bodoland areas.

A price war has been triggered because of Jio. Where does BSNL stand in this?

Jio's entry has triggered a tariff war. What is need is that we should pay attention to our customer, our strategy is that we retain our user base, that we match whatever tariff is launched or even beat it. BSNL's consumer base has grown, our voice and data service has grown.

The telecom ministry has called for a meeting of telecom operators on June 22 to sort out Jio's price war. Do you think a solution will be found?

The government has formed a committee that is debating it. The government may go for a reduction in license fee or spectrum usage charge. They may also try to streamline/stabilise se tariffs at a certain level.

Do you think banks may see defaults on the loans they have given to telecom firms?

As far as BSNL is concered, we are the least indebted company in the whole industry. BSNL's debt is only Rs 3,500 crore. Banks are always ready to lend to us, that is why I don't think there is cause for worry.

There are rumours of an MTNL-BSNL merger. What are your thoughts?

A merger of MTNL and BSNL will be beneficial for both, particularly for BSNL. MTNL has under stress for the past few years, they have not been able to do any development in their network. Its debt has reached about Rs 20,000 crore on a topline of merely RS 3,000 crore.

What is your role in the PM's Digital India campaign?

The PM launched Digital India in July 2015, in which all telecom companies have contributed their share. What India needs the most is to link rural areas. For this, through Bharat Net, villages are being connected. BSNL has a significant role to play in the Digital India project. Digital India is a plan, a mantra to change the country, in which BSNL will playing its role to the hilt.

Has there been any impact of demonetisation on this?

Initially, there was some impact, which also slowed some of BSNL's activities, but overall BSNL has benefited from it in that cash transactions have been replaced by digital transactions. Besides, we have partnered with State Bank of India (SBI) to launch a mobile wallet … there was a rapid fall between 2006 and 2012

We have installed new equipment recently, we have installed about 40,000 DTS/BTS. In the next two years, we will install another 40,000. The Honourable Minister has started a call centre services, in which customers can tell their problems and they will be resolved immediately.

Are you getting support from employees in this campaign?

We have the full support from employees, employees have created a concept 'Service with Smile', this shows that we believe in providing service with pleasure. This has brought about a mindset change in nearly 2 lakh BSNL employees.

How do you rate the PM of this country?

The best, without any doubt.