Sandeep Kashyap gave up a potential career in sports for an engineering degree. “I played table tennis at the state and national levels. However, when I reached Class 12, I had to choose between sports and academics, and I chose engineering to secure my career,” he explains.

He doesn’t seem to have regretted the decision. He has built up over 17 years of experience in the telecom and office automation spaces. Prior to his current role, he was involved in implementing large telecom projects, incubating businesses and signing lucrative business deals.

His areas of expertise include business development and next-generation green and renewable technologies. He has worked on projects related to fuel cell technology, variable speed multi-fuel DC generators, solar hybrid solutions for telecom towers and energy storage devices. In the course of his career, he has worked with MNCs such as Domino India and Bradma of India Limited.

What is surprising, though, is that his most memorable assignment came at hand before he even embarked on his career. “In my final year of engineering, we had to do a project on counting machines. We worked as a group and completed the project in seven days, which was a record achievement,” he reminisces.

Of course, the challenges changed once he started working. Currently, as chief technology officer at ACME,  tackling cut throat competition, reducing capex and opex (the latter to ensure support for rural coverage) and reducing dependence on diesel to operate telecom sites are the biggest challenges he faces.

And how does he meet these challenges while gearing up to meet future targets? “A result-oriented approach has always been helpful,” he says. “It is important to maintain an open culture and define goals clearly, while reviewing them periodically.”

As for future targets, he says, “I have three major targets: reducing energy costs by 50 per cent, ensuring return on investments in 24-36 months and making green technology solutions viable.”

What may make his targets more pressing are the trends he expects in the near term. “Reduced ARPUs and rising competition continue to put pressure on the industry. Besides, there will be consolidation in the tower segment in two-three years, and reducing opex will be a priority,” he notes. 

In the meantime, he is busy meeting deadlines and maintaining a balance between work and play. “I enjoy listening to music, spending time with my family, and watching the National Geographic and Discovery channels. Also, I am keen on keeping abreast of global technology trends.”