Telecom Manthan 2018
Discovering the New Age Customer and Emerging Business Dynamics in the Telecom Sector
According to a tweet by George Bray, your cellphone has got more computing power than all of NASA in 1969. In other words, the technology NASA used to launch Neil Armstrong on the moon is right in your pocket today. But without digital awareness, wouldn’t it be like waging a war against zombies of our society with an army of untrained Spartans? Imagine handing over a gun to a group of monkeys. It will do more harm than good.
India produces around 37 lakh technical graduates every year, which is more than the entire population of Singapore. However, ‘Make in India’ still remains a dream far from reality. Are we doing the right things to get rid of the roadblocks? Or just preparing for another shot in the dark.
Held amidst much media glare and fanfare at All India Council of Technical Education (AICTE) auditorium in New
Delhi on May 16, 2018, Telecom Manthan addressed several such key issues and limitations for creating quality telecom talent pool in the country to facilitate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of Digital India, Skill India, and Make in India.
Organized by Voice&Data in association with Telecom Sector Skill Council, Telecom Manthan 2018 discussed emerging business dynamics in the telecom sector, synergizing employment for skilled manpower for benefit of all, the new age customer, and empowering the skill ecosystem. With honorable Shri Manoj Sinha, minister of communication, Govt. of India, in attendance as chief guest, the event was one-of-its-kind platform for brainstorming, debating, and networking of all ICT education and skill building stakeholders including academia, training and assessment partners, policymakers, technology vendors, service providers, aspiring professionals and livelihood seekers, and HR leaders.
Telecom Manthan 2018 was divided i nto three sessions.
In the first session, thought leaders Shri N. Sivasailam, (IAS) Special Secretary, DoT, Shri Rajesh Agarwal, (IAS) Joint Secretary, MSDE, Mr. Akhil Gupta, Vice Chairman, Bharti Enterprises Ltd, President TSSC, Mr. P Balaji, Director-Regulatory, External Affairs & CSR, Vodafone, Vice-President TSSC, Mr. Arvind Bali, CEO & Director, Videocon Telecom, Treasurer TSSC, Dr. SS Pabla, President BSDU, and Mr. Manish Kumar, CEO, NSDC talked about synergizing employment for skilled manpower.
The second session was about emerging business dynamics due to rapid transformation in the telecom sector and ways to identify the opportunities that lay ahead. The panel discussion (chaired by Ms. Arpita Pal Agar- wal, Telecom Professional: Moderator, TR Dua, Director General TAIPA, Rajat Mukarji, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Idea Cellular, Rajesh Toshniwal, CEO Toshniwal Enterprises, Deval Parikh, CEO & Director, Brightstar India, Ajay Gupta, Head Strategy, India Ericson, and Ravi Shankar Rai, MD Savitri Telecom) was focused specifically on the changing behavior of the new customer that is influencing the entire business strategies and monetizing opportunities.
The last session of Telecom Manthan 2018 kickstarted with a keynote address by Dr. M P Poonia, Vice Chairman, AICTE, who emphasized on the importance of changing the Indian education system to adapt to new technologies. The audience showed their appreciation with a round of applause on and off as Dr. Poonia mixed wit and wisdom in his speech.
The panel discussion saw members Dr. S S Pabla, President BSDU-Moderator, Profe. KDS Bedi, Director Principal, Chitkara University, Dr. Kumkum Garg, Dean, Bbhartiya Skill Development University, Jaipur, Mr. Amit Goyal, Business Head, HMD Global (India), Mr. Ketan Kapoor, Founder & CEO, Mettl, talk about catalyzing skilled employment in Digital India with specific reference to contribution by Academia, Industry & Skill ecosystem. Maj Gen Deepinder Singh, Director TSSC closed the session with an overview on TSSC initiatives that support deliberations.
The key objective of Telecom Manthan 2018 was to discuss underlying challenges and opportunities in the telecom sector and observe its impact on skill building. The quality talent pool in this sector will play a significant role in the growth of Indian telecom infrastructure. The year 2018 is a milestone in the Indian Telecom Industry as there are several major step-forwards in store.