Rajesh Razdan had a successful innings in the telecom industry, working with a number of companies such as Nokia Siemens Networks, KPN International Consulting, Ericsson and Mobileum, before he co-founded mCarbon in 2008. The company provides customer usage and engagement solutions to telecom operators.

“As co-founder and chief executive officer of the company, it has been exciting and challenging to go through the rough and tumble of a mid-sized company, learning from the lows and enjoying the highs,” says Razdan. One of the biggest focus areas for him is to cement mCarbon’s position as a leader in telco usage and retention with a number of innovative offerings, particularly targeted at emerging economies.

To identify new business opportunities, Razdan keeps track of evolving market trends. He notes that changing consumer behaviour and usage patterns are forcing telecom operators to go back to the drawing board as well as reach out to customers. They are trying to analyse usage behaviour, custom-fitting plans and services to user needs and launching innovative services.

Razdan sees usage-driven analytics playing a key role in helping service providers come up with contextual offerings for customers and thereby leading to higher ARPUs. This is where companies like mCarbon come in to help bridge the gap between operators and customers.

As a seasoned professional, Razdan enjoys challenges and responding to changes. His strength lies in never quitting until a job is done. “I am very comfortable leading from the front and challenging the status quo,” he says. “Given a choice between strategic thinking and a job that focuses on implementation and repetitive activity, I prefer the former.”

As a leader, Razdan engages closely with customer groups as well as within the company. He believes in encouraging people to get out of their comfort zone while equipping them to respond to various challenges.

He calls himself a “hobby photographer” and a traveller. He likes spending time with his wife and their son, who is an avid footballer and hopes to play for an international league one day.

Razdan also enjoys spending time with budding entrepreneurs, listening to them and offering advice and mentorship based on his own professional as well as personal learnings acquired over the years.