Bharti group plans to restructure operations

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, AUG. 20. Bharti Enterprises today unveiled its strategic gameplan, including an initial outlay of Rs. 1,500 crores and key appointments to top posts, following successful bids for the fourth cellular licence in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (West) and Madhya Pradesh.

These licences, along with the acquisition of Kolkata and existing operations in Delhi, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chennai and Punjab (where it owes a whopping Rs. 400 crores to the central exchequer) will ensure Bharti's spread in 15 States.

According to the Bharti group chairman, Mr. Sunil Mittal, the restructuring in the region and the hub concept would ensure that the resources were more efficiently allocated across geographically contiguous areas or proximate markets.

In accordance with this concept, mobile operations would be restructured into one major region in the west and five hubs for greater regional and operational synergies. The creation of a major region in the west as against hubs across the country underlines Bharti's strategic thrust in the western region. The region and hubs have been created for synergising management and operational needs. This restructuring will ensure that decision- making is decentralised to the head of the region and hub to ensure greater customer focus. This will result in management of larger business areas with greater operational efficiencies and flexibility.

The western region will comprise the mobile circles of Mumbai, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. Mr. Sanjay Kapoor, who heads the company's mobile operations in Delhi, will take over as executive director of the western region with its headquarters at Mumbai. The CEO for Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh will be announced shortly. Mr. Atul Jhamb has been appointed COO of the Mumbai circle and Mr. I.P. Bajaj of the Maharashtra circle. Mr. V.K. Bhalla has been appointed COO of the Madhya Pradesh circle and would report to the CEO of Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

Bharti also announced plans for the rest of the circles, which have been clustered into hubs of business excellence. The Delhi hub will comprise the existing Delhi mobile service and one new mobile circle of Uttar Pradesh West. The company today announced that Mr. S.S. Dhillon would take over as CEO of the Delhi hub. Mr. K. Sachar has been appointed COO of the Uttar Pradesh West circle.

The Chennai hub will comprise the Chennai metro area and the newly-acquired licences for Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Mr. P.H. Rao, who heads SkyCell in Chennai, will take over as CEO for the Chennai hub. Mr. Vinod Sud has been appointed COO of the Kerala circle. The Bangalore hub will comprise the existing mobile services of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Mr. Jagdish Kini, who is currently CEO of Bharti's mobile operation in Karnataka, will head the Bangalore hub. Mr. Pawan Kapur has been appointed CEO of the Andhra Pradesh circle.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : Concern over refusal of visa to legal team by Sri
           Lanka
Next     : Notification on new number plates from Sept. 28