My father, as part of a project he undertook for Indian Railways, helped in setting up the country’s first optic fibre network in 1984. I aspired to follow in his footsteps and joined the sector as well,” says Sandeep Arora, vice-president of Cisco’s service provider business.

Arora has more than 15 years of work experience in the telecom space. Prior to Cisco, he has worked with Huawei, Reliance Communications, Himachal Futuristic Communications Limited and Pirelli. “Watching the sector grow has been an experience in itself. It has enriched me professionally and provided me with a clear understanding of the various nuances of this space.”

At Cisco, his focus is on the overall growth strategy and sales operations of the company’s telecom and cable segments. The main aims include enhancing the reach and demand of IP-based next-generation networks, mobility products, cloud-based solutions, and collaboration and video solutions. “We also enable service providers to introduce value-added services in the market,” he says.

Leading Cisco’s cable business segment has been a memorable journey for Arora, primarily because he was stepping into uncharted waters. “Five years after I joined Cisco, I was asked to lead its cable business. This segment is very different from the telecom market and I had no prior experience in the cable industry. Nevertheless, I took on the challenge and am happy to say that we have managed to garner a substantial share of the cable market.”

He feels that data services, such as video-based applications, will make their presence felt in the telecom space over the next few years. “A decade ago when the sector first opened up, the wireline and wireless segments witnessed substantial growth. Over the years, the wireless segment has surpassed expectations and the wireline and broadband spaces have lagged behind,” he notes. “It is time for data services to come out of hibernation. I feel that video will be the next voice, followed by healthcare-, education- and m-commerce-related applications. This will help bring in more inclusiveness in the telecom value chain at all levels.”

Arora says that Cisco is well equipped to keep up with this trend. “We are capable of providing the architectures and platforms on which the user can access these applications. We aim at providing a service-driven platform along with appropriate applications to tap the potential of the market.”