Prashant Gokarn views change as an opportunity. According to him, “Change is a big driver and motivator. One does tend to feel a bit cheated if one does the same task day in and day out.”

It was perhaps this belief in change that inspired him to move to India after a long stint in London.  He says, “I saw the opportunities in the Indian market and so I shifted base to set up the Indian branch of the company I was with then.”

Of course, the shift impacted his life in various ways. “The balance between work and life has taken a bit of a hit, but I hope things will improve once 3G services are launched,” he says. He also wishes he had more time to spend with his family, read and pursue hobbies.

That, however, will take some time yet. As business head, 3G with Reliance Communications, he has several tasks to fulfil. “The challenge is to launch a new business within the wireless space for higher-end customers. We look forward to getting them to move to our network from other operators as well as persuading our own customers to use the new services we launch on the 3G platform. The key task is to educate our customers about the potential of 3G, how they can use this to improve their quality of life, and access information and entertainment,” he says.

He divides the targets before him into two categories. “The first is centred on the timing of the 3G service launch and the second on the revenue generated by it. To sum up, the target is to snag subscribers, generate revenues and make profits.”

So, what kind of management style does this require? “An informal one,” he replies. “When I took up this role, my first task was to set up an organisation where hierarchical boundaries were reduced. Today, we sit in an open office. The rooms earlier allocated as cabins have been converted into meeting rooms. I aim at creating a culture where people are equally comfortable giving bad news and not just focusing on what is going well.”

That apart, he believes in managing and assessing people according to their output levels. He says, “Every day, the team spends three to four hours discussing and finalising the fortnight’s targets. Long-term goals are given equal priority and each person is given a set of functions to look after. I feel this exercise is vital, as it gives the team an idea of the various criteria they are being assessed on.”

Although work is currently at the top of his mind, he ensures Sundays are spent with his children. He drops them off to school every morning and starts his day with a session at the gym or a brisk run.