-

"Anyone who grew up in this country is full of dreams and hope, and looks at the future in an optimistic manner. There are so many stories, too many to tell, of how mobile phones have changed the lives of ordinary, poor people," he says.

His high level of job satisfaction stems from the fact that he has been adding value to society by connecting people such as migrant labourers who otherwise cannot see their wives and children back in the village for an entire year. With a mobile, they can see their child's face and keep in touch with their loved ones.

"The mobile is a lifeline. It helps the poor earn a better income, it helps them become more productive, it gives them valuable information in a second," he says.

He recalls some first-hand instances of the overwhelming impact of the cellphone on ordinary people:

A "thank you" call from two brothers, one of whom had flown in from the US to help his brother in India arrange the funeral of their father in a remote part of the country. "One brother told me that being able to talk on the mobile had made the whole task easier and less painful, and he wanted to thank me," he recounts.

Shrivastava also remembers watching a cowherd in a remote corner of the country, who could not perhaps afford to eat two square meals, talking on a mobile.

A taxi driver in Singapore who, during breaks, would surf the net on his phone to obtain the information he needed for the diploma course he attended in the evenings to get a better job.

Then, there was the journalist in Madhya Pradesh who went on a hunger strike to demand that Idea extend its network to his village because he knew that connectivity meant prosperity and his village was being left out. "We had to persuade him to call off his hunger strike by explaining that it would take us a little while to set up the necessary infrastructure," says Shrivastava, laughing.

And another incident etched in his memory is his visit, with some friends, to the famous Sabarimala temple in Kerala that attracts 100,000 to 150,000 devotees a day. Shrivastava was told that he should first go to the chief priest to get his blessing before entering the temple. In the middle of blessing him, the chief priest remarked, "You know, your network signal is very good here."

"There are just too many stories, too many amazing changes. It blows my mind when I see what is happening in rural India," he says.

Shrivastava was born in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh where his father worked in the public works department. It meant that he changed schools frequently. This caused him no difficulty at all. On the contrary, he enjoyed making new friends and the intellectual stimulation of a new place.

His own work now reminds him of his father's achievements. He says that his father, who retired as head of the department, worked with integrity, honesty and total commitment. Looking back on his childhood, he is amazed that his father should have been so conscientious when he was paid so little. "It showed me that you can fight the system if you are honest and determined," he says.

Often, when they drove together, his father would point out a particular bridge or road that his department had built. "It was such a sense of satisfaction for him to see people using that road or bridge, how it made their lives easier and how it would last for decades," he says. "My parents always encouraged me to look beyond myself. They were a great example of this. They were always trying to do things bigger than themselves."

Shrivastava is similarly energised when he sees the happiness and sense of security that people derive from their cellphones; the ability to contact their families in case of an emergency or to share happy news. "What we are doing is very real. We are right there, where the action is, at the bottom of the pyramid," he says.

The telecom industry, he says, is the theatre of action with explosive growth and high investments. It is an exciting industry, constantly challenging you to grow business profitably, to attract and retain low ARPU subscribers, to create a reason why a rural subscriber will pay you beyond voice connectivity and, of course, to unlock the true potential of cellular telephony through a range of value-added services (VAS).

Shrivastava says that handling operations in the Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh circles has given him a feel of the complexity of this industry. At the same time, being part of the team creating memorable campaigns such as "What an Idea Sirjee" or launching the first of their kind products such as "to copy" in VAS and "My Gang" as a youth offering has brought in its share of excitement.

Shrivastava also thoroughly enjoyed his earlier job with Hindustan Lever where he managed diversified businesses, as well as with Lintas where he learnt a lot and was exposed to a tremendous range of experience.

As chief marketing officer, he says he is privileged to be a part of a very dynamic executive committee at Idea led by the MD, Sanjeev Aga. Shrivastava supports his bright, young business managers and marketing professionals. Promoting the brand, VAS, roaming, business development, the enterprise business unit, web, and channel management at the strategic support level are some of his team's responsibilities.

He has a "hands on" management style but acknowledges that, as the scale and complexity of the telecom industry build up, the ability to nurture leadership across levels is an area where he needs to further refine his style.

"Idea is a company to watch. We have been the fastest growing cellular operator in India for the past two years in terms of both revenue and subscriber share. What differentiates Idea is its champion values, a humane touch and an ability to think ahead. As part of the Aditya Birla Group, we have a very strong value system which binds us all together. The respect for employees and the humility of our leadership are a matter of both pride and joy for us," he says.

Based in Mumbai, Shrivastava is a proud alumnus of St Stephen's College in Delhi, which he describes as one of India's finest institutions with its own folklore about earlier alumni. He remembers how his professors were role models who challenged students constantly and turned out "complete" men and women, good not just academically but in a whole range of activities, including being aware of the need to make a contribution to society.

Apart from a post-graduate degree from St Stephen's, he has an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, another institution where he was challenged to go beyond his subject and discipline, and think out of the box.

Thinking constantly of new ideas is what he enjoys at Idea. "The current economic context demands that we provide value to our subscribers in a cost-effective manner as they become more sensitive to every rupee of expenditure. And we have to create relevant products and deliver them to different segments of users in the rural market. Youth has ever-changing needs through their fads and trends, and this too becomes a focal point for telecom operators," he says.

The average day at work for Shrivastava is hectic and full of action. His wife has always been supportive but his work leaves little time for his two daughters, aged 15 and 10. When time permits, he watches TV or movies with them.

He wakes up every morning feeling inspired and full of anticipation. "India is a growth story and across all walks of life, it is filled with people creating value and adding so much to our society," Shrivastava says. "Inspiration is everywhere, not just in Slumdog Millionaire."