Khurana is the man responsible for putting Reliance optical fibre across the length and breadth of the country and facilitated “the death of distance” for the mobile telephony in India.
MUMBAI: When Bhagwan Das Khurana, the grand old man of Indian wireless industry, stepped down as group president of Reliance Communications, the second largest private sector mobile services provider, many eyebrows were raised.
Khurana is the man responsible for putting Reliance optical fibre across the length and breadth of the country and facilitated “the death of distance” for the mobile telephony in India. Reliance Communications (then Reliance Infocomm) introduced its initial plan the “Dhirubhai Ambani Pioneer Offer” facilitating a call to anywhere in India at 40 paise per minute, when the going rate then was over Rs 6 per minute. “That set the pace of mobile users in India.”
At the pilot stage itself, in December 2003, they had covered 60,000 kms, twice as much as any other private operator in the sector. Khurana says, the company has dug in cables and created capacity and wouldn’t need to revisit the underground cabling ducts for another 20 years. “I am not done yet”, Khurana admits but insists he’s planning a short sabbatical before he tries out something different. He’s not willing to share his plans yet.
But the timing of the technocrat’s resignation distressingly coincided with RCom’s heightening tension with the Tata group.
Naturally, it fanned rampant speculation on reasons. Khurana is dismissive of the rumours surrounding his resignation. “I resigned on December 14, 2006, and my last day at Reliance Communications was on January 31,” says Khurana.
Even RCom’s rivals hold him in esteem. “Whenever he sees us at industry forums, he’s the guy who comes across and embraces us. He’s like a grandfather to all of us,” an official with a rival group says.
Khurana was also the president of Reliance Communications’ wholly owned submarine cable, Flag Telecom. He’s considered the architect behind Reliance’s telecom venture. He is also credited with setting up the first private sector telecom company in the country, Punjab Wireless Systems. Prior to joining Reliance, Khurana worked with Bharti Televentures as president, networks.
Ask the technocrat, who passed out of IIT, Delhi in 1969 whether he’s retiring finally? “I am not done yet” Khurana told DNA Money.
He’s among the few who have worked in close quarters with both Ambani brothers and with Sunil Bharti Mittal of Bharti Airtel. He neatly sidesteps queries on whom he enjoyed working with the most, by saying all three are different in their styles and leadership. “Sunil Mittal is very dynamic and successful and prefers a more structured empowerment. Sunil Mittal has done a excellent job,” he said. Khurana said both the brothers have the same DNA.
“Mukesh excels in project execution, scale and speed and he’s without doubt a wealth creator for the nation, whereas Anil is extremely focused on financial results, and keeps a watch on the balance sheet, profit and loss account and market capitalisation of his companies,” he says.
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