Anil Kumar, ITS, a telecom industry veteran, is currently senior general manager, infrastructure, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). His current responsibilities include dealing with the sharing of towers with other telecom operators and leasing towers from other companies, as well as issues related to master share agreements and subsidisation of the tower business.

The infrastructure division of BSNL is planning to monetise the land surrounding the tower sites, in order to explore growth opportunities, given that they have a presence across the country, and the tower sites have both OFC and grid connectivity. “Under this plan, all government services can be provided at a single location on the land near the tower sites, so that the rural people in the vicinity can experience digital communication services”, says Kumar. Another focus area for the division is ensuring a higher number of tenancies at the existing tower sites to make the telecom tower business more profitable. Currently, Kumar’s target is to ensure an addition of 3,000 tenancies by end-2014 and another 10,000 by 2018-19.

Kumar asserts that BSNL is also working to improve its image in the industry. He says, “We want to remove the notion that BSNL is not friendly with the industry and this requires a few steps.” The first step is to expeditiously deal with requests from other telecom operators to share telecom towers. The second is to commit to the service level agreements standards followed by the industry in general, and the third is with regard to rationalisation of tariffs.

For Kumar, the most memorable assignment was his stint with BSNL in Ernakulum, Kerala. Given that it was one of his first assignments, he got acquainted with several new aspects. These included restricting the expenditure on operational and capital works, interacting with customers to meet their demands, and resolving faults.

Kumar lists his vast experience and commitment to the job, and to the responsibilities entrusted to him as his key strengths. Further, he has a collaborative and teamwork style of management. “I nurture my subordinates so that they can reciprocate in an open way,” says Kumar.

In his spare time he likes to go for morning and evening walks and visit shopping malls. Kumar has three daughters whom he enjoys spending time with. He did his B. Tech. in electronics and communications from the IIT, Banaras Hindu University in 1984.