Since his childhood, Srinivas M. knew he wanted to be either an engineer or a scientist. He ended up becoming both, and more. He says, “I did my engineering and started my career as an engineer. Shortly afterwards, I was also selected as a space scientist. By then, however, I had started developing an interest in management and was preparing to take the entrance exam.” He got admission to four IIMs and went on to become a management professional.

Today, as Idea Cellular’s circle head, Chennai and Tamil Nadu, Srinivas has plenty on his plate. “I am responsible for Idea Cellular’s operations in this extremely competitive market. This includes spreading Idea’s operations throughout the state, rolling out the network, looking after distribution, acquiring and retaining customers, and thereby growing revenues. I lead a talented team that is passionate about strengthening our presence in this circle,” he says.

Keeping in mind the hyper competition in the circle, his main challenge is to improve Idea’s market presence, acquire more customers and improve the company’s revenue market share. All this while also ensuring that the company makes optimum investments and keeps costs under control.

Srinivas’s management style is informal and participative. He likes to set clear objectives and then focus on achieving results. He delegates work and responsibilities to his team and gives them the requisite support and guidance. He believes that this helps in getting the best out of the team and also enables them to grow faster.

So what have been the highlights of his career? He responds, “Some of my major achievements have been strengthening distribution and thereby contributing to increased customer and revenue share in Idea Cellular’s Andhra Pradesh circle and smoothly launching services in Tamil Nadu.”

Going forward, Srinivas expects that the telecom industry will witness a few more price wars, like the one triggered by the entry of multiple operators. To stay ahead in such a competitive market, he believes that customer service and retention will be key, especially with the expected advent of mobile number portability. “I also expect non-voice revenues to accelerate further,” he notes.