An Indian Telecommunication Service officer of the 1986 batch, R.M. Agarwal is currently serving as deputy director general, network and technology, Department of Telecommunications (DoT). He is responsible for policy formulation for cloud (focusing on network interfaces) and machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. “M2M policy formulation presents huge challenges owing to the massive networks, bigger security threats, end-to-end service ownership and the fast growth rate expected,” says Agarwal. “For cloud too, the policy framework involves complexities in terms of giving the outside world access to Indian data, encryption standards, interception requirements and security standards.”

On the technology front, Agarwal sees significant growth in cloud-based offerings from telecom players and IT providers. In fact, the increasing demand for distri-buted applications and the rise in the core count of high-end processors will converge to bring superfast interconnects into the data centre. M2M will step in to address challenges like the lack of infrastructure for health care, education and banking, Agarwal notes. He also expects fixed mobile convergence technologies to provide operators an opportunity to synergise the capabilities of fixed and mobile services while helping players address issues regarding the spectrum crunch and quality of service.

In the past, Agarwal has worked with government organisations such as the Defence Research and Development Organisation and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). Of all his assignments, Agarwal considers his stint as head, telecom district, Saharanpur, at BSNL as the most challenging. During 1992-95, he was responsible for the overall administration and management of the entire telecom network of two revenue districts, Saharanpur and Haridwar. He spearheaded the transformation of over 70 exchanges from electromagnetic to digital. Following the technology transformation, the company witnessed a significant improvement in its service quality and higher revenues.

Describing his management style, Agarwal says, “I believe in building a consensus amongst all stakeholders before arriving at decisions. My focus is on ensuring time-bound implementation of projects. I lead from the front and like to acknowledge my team’s efforts from time to time.”