Sushil Kumar Chaturvedi is an optimist and has high hopes for the telecom industry for 2013. “This year, broadband will be the key growth driver, especially in the rural areas,” he says. “Increased data uptake supported by the roll- out of 4G services and the launch of non-voice value-added services will contribute to sector growth. Further, the granting of infrastructure status to the telecom tower industry will help it access external commercial borrowings, allow it to pay lower import duties and avail of accelerated depreciation benefits.”

Extending broadband connectivity to rural areas presents a huge business opportunity for service providers and tower companies, Chaturvedi notes. “Currently, 600,000 villages with 700 million people in rural areas are yet to experience the broadband revolution. Delivering broadband to this segment will require huge investments in infrastructure. For tower firms, the emphasis will be on disciplined roll-outs, increasing shared tenancies and undertaking infrastructure upgradation to support the growth in data usage.”

A former officer of the Indian Telecom Service, Chaturvedi is currently leading Ascend Telecom as its chief executive officer. He has more than three decades of work experience behind him, with expertise in technology, strategy, business development and operations across different geographies including India, the US, Africa and Southeast Asia. He has worked with organisations like Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, ORG Informatics, and the US-based GDSS.

Chaturvedi maintains that all his projects have been equally fulfilling. “Each assignment presented challenges. The efforts put in to achieve success in all these assignments were fulfilling and made for a unique experience, which enhanced my learning curve,” he says.

As a leader, he is of the view that an individual’s management style should keep evolving with changing situations. Talking about his management style, Chaturvedi, says, “Ethics is a prerequisite in management. Delegation of authority, team play and respect for every individual bring out the best in a team and help achieve excellence in work.” Chaturvedi says his success lies in delivering results by doing each task differently. He is open to criticism and willing to adapt to new situations.

Chaturvedi is an avid philatelist, numismatist as well as an antique collector. He also likes to spend time with his wife, Vibha, an interior designer, and their two children, Mudita and Arshabh.