In 2004, when A K Sinha took over as the chairman and managing director of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, speculation was rife that the telecom goliath would continue to lose ground under him.
The media, though, can be forgiven since few reporters knew Sinha, or had any knowledge of this senior deputy director general in the telecom giant's corporate office.
Two years down the line, the same critics are talking of the empire striking back. While under his stewardship, BSNL has been credited with redefining the broadband sector, going global by working its own international traffic network (ILD traffic to Sri Lanka will soon start, and cables to Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore will be next), launching uniform tariffs under IndiaOne Plan and moving the mileposts for expansion with their upcoming 60 million tender -- Sinha has, however, stayed out of the limelight.
An engineer by education, Sinha began his career as a teacher -- prior to joining the Indian Telecom Service, he worked as a lecturer at Bihar College of Engineering, Patna.
While working as divisional engineer (installation), Sinha was instrumental in commissioning the first C-400 type Japanese Telephone Exchange for Calcutta Telephones' network and, thereafter, for MTNL Delhi. Besides, the government also loaned him for three years on deputation to the telecom department of the Government of Nigeria as principal engineer, training.
Despite facing the handicap of heading a PSU constantly under the scrutiny of the Department of Telecom as well as an assertive minister, Sinha has not shied away from talking tough, and even taking on the government. He resisted the OneIndia Plan and even shot off a letter to the government stating that this scheme could lead to revenue losses of over Rs 4,500 crore (Rs 45 billion).
He managed to get the government to agree it would allow him to hike rentals and also commit it would move to a revenue-share-based ADC which is vital for OneIndia to work. Sinha took on the government over its move to allow state-owned departments to use the services of private telecom operators, and has also been credited with maintaining a "no compromise" line over the issue of permanent absorption of ITS officers.
The jury is still out some of the PSU's most ambitious projects -- broadband and OneIndia. Yet, there remains no doubt that BSNL has taken massive strides to reclaim lost ground under his tenure.
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