Arvinder Singh Sachdev is currently head of Aircel’s operations in the eastern region (he is, however, slated to move to a new corporate role in Gurgaon shortly). He is responsible for delivering the top line and bottom line for the Kolkata, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Northeast circles. The eastern region is the second largest region for Aircel and has registered a CAGR of 28 per cent, ahead of industry growth at 16 per cent, since Sachdev took over in end-2008.

Each circle has its own unique challenges. Sachdev points out that the region’s varied geography, especially that of the Northeast, is particularly testing. “The tough terrain requires a lot of effort in connecting people and putting together an effective distribution system,” he comments.

Nevertheless, Aircel’s leadership position in these circles as well as his prior work experience help. “Aircel has been operating in the Northeast since 2005. In terms of coverage, we enjoy network leadership in the region. The population here is dominated by the youth, which is quick to adopt new trends. So, Aircel has been working to reinvent itself as a youth brand by focusing on data and VAS,” he says.

Sachdev has more than 20 years of work experience in the FMCG, retail and telecom sectors. He has worked with brands like Cadbury India, Blow Plast and Aditya Birla Retail. He is a graduate in electrical engineering from Aligarh Muslim University and has an MBA with specialisation in marketing from the Faculty of Management Studies.

Sachdev follows an “approachable” style of management. “One needs to be approachable to build a connect with the team so that one can cascade one’s vision for the business. This is especially true as one moves up the ladder and has larger teams. Second, empathising with people and understanding business on the ground can lead to alignment and superior results.”

Interestingly, he finds several parallels between the FMCG and telecom segments, especially in terms of sales and distribution. “These functions are largely retail driven in both the telecom and FMCG sectors. However, technology has a much greater role to play in telecom as compared to FMCG. In telecom, one is able to monitor customer usage patterns closely. The moment a user chooses a network, the operator can determine what services they are spending on.” However, with internet penetration increasing, digital/ online channels will start playing a larger role in telecom.

Sachdev likes to unwind by spending time with his wife and two children. He often teaches his son physics. He enjoys reading and has recently finished Chetan Bhagat’s Two States.