A chartered accountant and management accountant by qualification, Bala Malladi has more than 25 years of industry experience. A large part of his career has been spent with Unilever, in India and worldwide, where he has held various positions and looked after different businesses. He took over as chief executive officer (CEO) of Atria Convergence Technologies [ACT] Fibernet in 2008, and is responsible for providing strategic direction to the company’s businesses, including broadband, high definition TV and IP TV.

Malladi sees strong growth opportunities in the data business space. “The Indian data market continues to be severely under-penetrated. There is a lack of policies that encourage broadband penetration and adoption. Facilitating proper infrastructure in terms of access network would propel the broadband industry to the next level,” he says.

Malladi is of the view that future generations will have the benefit of a completely connected internet of things with smart governance, smart education and smart health care being at the forefront. To tap this market, ACT Fibernet is focusing on offering consistent, high speed data connectivity to users through the seamless interconnection of technology, applications and platforms.

Of the many successful assignments that Malladi has handled so far, leading ACT Fibernet has been the most fulfilling in terms of establishing the company as a frontrunner in the broadband space with 1.5 million subscribers in a market that is largely dominated by telecom service providers. He takes pride in the fact that at present, ACT Fibernet is the fourth largest internet service provider in the country.

Malladi says that the key to building a successful business for ACT Fibernet from scratch has been his ability to put together the most optimally structured business in a largely unstructured and fragmented environment. Further, a focus on building, nurturing and leading a high performance team has contributed to building a strong brand. Commenting on his leadership style, Malladi says, “My management style is situation specific. At the same time, it is predominantly polarised towards participative decision-making with cabinet responsibility, and is execution oriented.”