Prashant Bindal began his telecom innings only a few months ago, joining Spice Mobility, the mobile devices arm of the Spice Group, as chief executive officer (CEO). Given the opportunities and challenges the sector presents, he is excited about his new role and is gearing up for the stiff competition in the smartphone vertical, which witnesses “new launches every other day, and that too at attractive prices”.

But having worked for about 17 years in the highly competitive consumer goods and retail industries, Bindal is well-equipped to handle this level of competition. He has worked with companies like Coca-Cola and Cadbury (India and China) as part of their senior leadership team. Before joining Spice, he was with Wal-Mart, heading its sales, marketing and operations functions as senior vice-president, cash and carry business.

At Spice, he heads the group’s devices, retail and online business. “My job is to build a product that solves a real customer need (and to convince customers to pay for it), making sure our customers have a positive and emotional experience with our product,” says Bindal.

He aims to take the company to the next level of growth by making its product portfolio more robust and versatile, tapping a larger audience and offering the latest technology. In fact, he believes that the only way to stay afloat and grow in the competitive telecom environment is to offer revolutionary products, incorporating innovative technologies.

This, he says, is possible only through teamwork and a structured approach. Bindal believes in inspiring and motivating his team to achieve goals and initiate changes. “I am always open to new ideas from team members. I consult with them frequently and encourage and support independent thinking. I believe in establishing an open discussion for decision-making. Extensive research on what makes a team effective shows that teams that have the talent and skills to manage themselves do better,” he says.

Bindal is a mechanical engineer from Thapar University and an MBA from IMT Ghaziabad. He has also attended a senior leadership programme at IIM Ahmedabad.