'Telecom sector more resilient than other sectors'

The booming Indian telecom industry that boasts of the world's second largest mobile network is more resilient than others in combating crises such as the current economic slowdown or natural disasters, says a technocrat who has been associated with the sector for over three decades.

At the launch of his book "Connecting India" Wednesday evening, S.D. Saxena, the former finance director of state-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), said: "In our country, there is a different kind of focus on telecom, which helps it to grow more than any other sector."

Elaborating, he cited the instance of BSNL lines being re-installed in three days after floods hit Bihar recently, when it took other infrastructure weeks to get back to normal. "We have performed best even in crisis," Saxena said.

Connecting India is a lucid tale of the growth of India's telecom sector, including the transformation of the state-controlled telecom department into an aggressively growing company, BSNL, that competes with private players.

A Physics post-graduate and former lecturer, Saxena also narrates in his book the trials and tribulations of a new corporate entity carved out of a government department in the cut-throat competitive world of Indian telecom industry.

Saxena said BSNL's transformation was the result of the synergy between National Knowledge Commission head Sam Pitroda, the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and a few others who triggered a revolution in the telecom sector.

The book, published by Konark Publishers, reveals the deeper intricacies of the country's number one telecom company that underwent a sea change in a span of few days.

Reading out small snippets from the book, Saxena said BSNL was like an old monk who carried a young maiden on his shoulder to help her cross the river without any ill feeling, forgetting his vow never to touch a woman.

"BSNL draws inspiration from such stories, wherein we did not carry any ill feelings of the past and constantly thought about helping our customers and our clients."