When it comes to dealing with the rigours of everyday work, Vivek Chandel, chief operating officer (COO) of TATA DOCOMO’s Uttar Pradesh (West) and Uttarakhand circle, finds it useful to adopt a flexible management style. He says, “I do not have a particular style of management. In the current business scenario, one has to constantly monitor the market and environment, and work out one’s own plan of action. I believe that involving people is critical  for any business to grow. This helps in refining the planning process and taking critical business decisions.”

Chandel is currently responsible for TATA DOCOMO’s GSM operations and business performance in the Uttar Pradesh (West) and Uttarakhand circle. He has over 15 years of work experience. An electronics engineer, he started his career with BHEL. After completing his MBA in 1995, he joined the telecom industry which was at a nascent stage at the time. “In the past 15 years, I have handled various assignments in the areas of marketing, project planning, implementation and operations. I joined Tata Teleservices Limited (TTSL) in 2009 and since then I have been looking after the company’s GSM operations,” he says.

Among the many tasks he has handled, rolling out mobile number portability (MNP) and 3G for TATA DOCOMO has been the most challenging. “I think each of the projects I have worked on have added value to my profile in their own way. The most recent ones have been the rollout of 3G services and MNP, which we managed successfully, despite tight timelines and challenging targets. It is exciting to see how 3G and MNP have enriched customers’ lives. While 3G offers them a range of new services, MNP has empowered customers by giving them the freedom to change their operator without changing their number,” he says.

Going forward, he believes that the biggest challenge before him is standing out among the clutter of other operators. “With penetration at over 100 per cent in the urban areas and multiple players vying for the same audience, creating a distinctive identity is a challenge. For TATA DOCOMO, Uttar Pradesh (West) and Uttarakhand is a lucrative market, especially given our various value propositions, best network and refreshingly different brand, owing to which we have emerged as one of the fastest growing brands across the circle,” he says. 

It is not all work and no play for Chandel. When not consolidating TATA DOCOMO’s brand in the circle, he enjoys playing badminton and table tennis, and spending time with his family.