Kerala, a state with a rich cultural heritage and a popular tourist destination, is also an upcoming telecom hub.
Ramakrishna B., chief operating officer, Kerala, Idea Cellular, says that the state has a mobile teledensity of over 70 per cent and continues to offer an exciting market with over 12 players in competition.

"When I took charge of the business here in 2003, the key task was how to capture market leadership from the incumbent leader while keeping the team motivated and together, considering our company was undergoing a major transition - from Escotel to Idea," he says. "Now that Idea is reckoned a market leader in the state, both in terms of revenue and subscriber base, I feel satisfied with the progress."

"Our strategy has been to focus on delivering value to nearly 5.5. million Idea subscribers and keeping them satisfied.
Towards this end, we have set up 24 x 7 call centres, we have a high quality network and we have over 250 company showrooms across the state," he says.

Ramakrishna has built his career in telecom. His first few assignments after graduating in engineering from Trivandrum Engineering College in 1982 were with public sector units like the Indian Oil Corporation and the Gas Authority of India, where he set up their microwave and communications networks. He joined Airtel in 1992 to set up its network in Delhi. He moved to Idea in 1996. In between, Ramakrishna took time off to enhance his education with a master's in software systems from BITS Pilani and an MBA from U21 Global Singapore.

Interestingly, his interest in the telecom sector began very early in life. As a child, Ramakrishna faced many problems living in a small village. Reaching school meant a 7 km walk every day. Homework was often finished at night, under the light of a kerosene lamp. Subconsciously, these aspects influenced him deeply and when he got an opportunity to work in the telecom sector, he felt it was the right platform for him to bridge the gaps in infrastructural development.

Ramakrishna has a strong sense of teamwork, a concept nurtured early in life through his active participation in group sports like cricket and hockey in college. The best thing he likes about telecom is that there is always something new to learn. He hopes to write a book on the subject some day.

Ramakrishna enjoys reading -­ it could be humour, mainly Wodehouse, and sometimes classics and management books. He also likes to lend a helping hand to his wife in the garden and participates in various fun activities with his two daughters.