Vasudev Tantry, country manager, Anritsu India Limited, has 18 years of industry experience having worked with organisations like NCI India and HCL Comnet. At present, he is responsible for the overall sales and support operations of the test and measurement (T&M) company in India.

Talking about industry challenges and prospects, Tantry says, “The T&M industry is going through challenging times. Some segments within the industry are doing extremely well whereas others are going through a rough patch, ultimately evening out for T&M product manufacturers like us.” According to him, growth in the telecom sector has slowed in the past year as 3G service uptake has not been at the expected level.

The challenges notwithstanding, he sees significant business opportunities emerging with the roll-out of 4G networks, increased research and development (R&D) by global chipset/original equipment manufacturers and the implementation of the National Telecom Policy. Identifying sector trends, Tantry says, “T&M is expected to move towards the use-and-pay model by operators. At the same time, we expect to see considerable investments flowing in from the R&D and manufacturing segments.”

Armed with an MBA from NIT, Tiruchirapalli, and an engineering degree from NIT, Surat, Tantry started his career as a management trainee with HCL Comnet in 1995. He went on to become regional sales manager at the company. In 2005, he got the opportunity to start and head Anritsu’s operations in India.

Among the memorable, if tough, assignments that Tantry undertook over the years, he recalls in particular the establishment of a satellite communications network for the Karnataka Electricity Board, where he was the project in-charge. The project size and tough terrain proved to be a big challenge but also a great learning experience.

Commenting on his management style, Tantry says, “I do not like to complicate things. My way of doing things is to keep it simple. I expect my team members to be aware of their responsibilities and be customer focused.”

Time off from work is spent mainly with family. “Both my children are actively into sports and taking them for their training sessions is a major activity. I used to play a lot of cricket and represented both the NITs where I studied. But now a days I just play these games with my son on weekends,” he says. Besides cricket, Tantry enjoys reading.