In the corporate world, where deadlines are inflexible and the pressures unrelenting, Ashok Kumar Singh believes that it is important to be completely hands-on. As chief operating officer of Tata Teleservices Limited's (TTSL) Jharkhand operations, his responsibilities include ensuring that the business remains profitable, provides returns to the promoters through cost optimisation and improves subscriber acquisition -­ and all this with optimum utilisation of TTSL's resources.

To achieve these goals, Singh relies heavily on his organisational skills and transparent management style, two key areas of strength. His organisational abilities have helped him enhance his time management skills. "I plan ahead and use `to do' lists to help me meet deadlines," he notes.

Prior to his current position, Singh worked with Reliance Communications (RCOM) in various capacities. This included positions like chief executive officer of Uttar Pradesh (East) operations and circle head of West Bengal and Jharkhand. Before RCOM, Singh worked for many years in the Oman cable industry with Optel Telecommunication. He also worked with Hindustan Cables and Usha International.

Singh rates his current assignment as his most memorable one. "The vision, mission, values and company ethics are so clear to every employee that the achievement of business goals is not difficult. Everyone contributes towards the same objective, which is the key to the company's success," he explains.

Singh feels that customer retention will continue to be the top priority for all operators. "With the market growing at a phenomenal pace and with more players coming in, the only factor that will differentiate one operator from another will be customer loyalty. We are aligned and focused towards achieving this." Further, with mobile number portability coming in, it will become even more essential to provide quality customer service in order to retain subscribers.

As for the challenges, prospects and targets before him, Singh says, "The challenge before me is managing the CDMA ecosystem. In this business, customer acquisition includes the SIM card and the handset, and the placement of CDMA handsets is a limitation due to the paucity of vendors and quantum of sale. The future prospect in this system is pushing data services. Photon+ is crucial in this geography. As Jharkhand is an industrial state, Photon+ offers a very good prospect for higher ARPUs and revenues. Finally, our target is to ensure profitability and trouble-free operations."

When not busy with work, Singh enjoys listening to light music and watching movies.