Broadband
Target 10 m broadband subscribers by 2010: CII
NEW DELHI: India should target a minimum of 10 million subscribers by 2010 and 35 million subscribers by 2020 in urban India across homes, enterprises and public kiosks, which is the vision according to a study on Broadband Economy: Vision 2010, according to Sujit Kumar, chairman of CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) National Broadband Economy Committee today.
The report states that connectivity and services, if designed appropriately, innovatively and if implemented effectively, can be a key driver for several socio-economic gains including economic growth and employment generation, Arvind Mahajan, partner, IBM Business Consulting Services, said.
An important aspect of the CII report is that most of the initiatives could be industry driven and do not require significant investment by government. Further existing investments by incumbent operators could be leveraged to build a world- class network. The Broadband Economy could attract investments of over $ 2,600 million by 2006 and $ 5,350 by 2010.
To facilitate this investment and roll out of the broadband services, the study also suggests key recommendations and action points for the government, industry and the regulator. The study also has also outlined a roadmap to be adopted and implemented in fiscal 2004-05 and 2005-06.
According to the study, broadband connectivity and services will positively impact education, health, governance and citizen empowerment required to achieve the economic goals for all citizens including the rural population that cannot be covered effectively using traditional brick and mortar solutions.
The study has been conducted by IBM Business Consulting Services in association with CII and with support of departments IT and telecommunications.
In quantitative terms, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) vision targets to achieve broadband coverage for at least 50 percent of the rural population by 2010 and 100 percent by 2020 through rural broadband kiosks.
For development of rural market in India and to achieve 50 percent population coverage by 2010 and 100 percent of the population coverage, the report has targeted 100,000 kiosks by 2010 and 620,000 kiosks by 2020.
The report says at the core of any rural broadband / connectivity model in India is the kiosk as an aggregator of demand and a central infrastructure for the entire village. This is the only proven system by which the rural population will be able to take advantage of broadband or any form of connectivity services on a cost-effective and sustainable basis. With reference to the Planning Commission’s Vision 2020 document, the CII report visualises ubiquitous Broadband as playing a strategic role.
The CII National Broadband Economy Committee has adopted a dynamic and flexible definition of broadband that is technology neutral and focussed towards delivery of services to the end user, rather than on speed.
The study identifies potential key drivers of broadband and recommends making appropriate and locally relevant e-education, e-health, e-governance, and entertainment and e-commerce services available through broadband connectivity to all cities, towns and villages in India. Not only would the quality of these services in the rural areas improve but also, it would assist in containing migration to urban areas and also provide job opportunities in the rural areas.
For long-term development of the urban access industry, the report has recommended that India look at creating communication infrastructure that is able to leapfrog to newer technologies. From a long-term perspective, therefore, India needs to promote multiple technologies and inter-modal competition from DSL, HFC, fibre, wireless and satellite technologies, as and when they become relevant and cost effective.
Broadband
Tejas Networks names Arnob Roy as MD and CEO, overhauls top leadership team
The Bengaluru-based telecom gear maker reshuffles its entire top team even as quarterly revenue collapses by 83 per cent
BENGALURU: Tejas Networks is changing the guard at the top, and doing so at speed. The Bengaluru-headquartered telecom equipment maker has elevated Arnob Roy as managing director and chief executive officer, effective April 15, 2026, for a term running through to August 3, 2028, and in the same breath announced new appointments across operations and finance. The timing is pointed: the company is navigating one of the roughest patches in its recent history.
Roy steps up from his role as executive director and chief operating officer, a position he has held since March 2019. He brings more than three decades of experience in the high-technology sector across research and development, operations, and sales. His predecessor, Anand Athreya, resigned last year citing personal reasons and was relieved on June 20, 2025, leaving a gap at the top that has now been formally filled.
The numbers Roy inherits are sobering. Tejas posted a net loss of Rs 211.3 crore in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2026, a near-194 per cent widening year on year from Rs 71.8 crore in the same period a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter collapsed 82.6 per cent year on year to Rs 333 crore, down from Rs 1,907 crore. EBITDA swung to a loss of Rs 118.2 crore against a profit of Rs 121.5 crore a year ago. The culprit is not hard to identify: Tejas has derived the bulk of its revenue from BSNL’s fourth-generation network project, delivered as part of a Tata Consultancy Services-driven consortium, and that roll-out is now winding down.
Roy, speaking during a post-earnings conference call with analysts, was candid about where the company has been. “The BSNL 4G network went live across 100,000 sites. We deployed our largest indigenous router networks in the country through the BSNL MAN network, as well as in the BharatNet Phase 3 network,” he said, adding that Tejas had also successfully rolled out its 400G and 800G DWDM equipment in domestic and international markets, and continued the deployment of what it describes as the world’s largest satellite IoT network through its vehicle tracking system solution.
The pivot to new revenue streams is already under way. Tejas has partnered with Japan’s Rakuten Symphony and NEC Corporation to push deeper into international markets, with several Open Radio Access Network trials ongoing, one of which concluded recently. The company is also diversifying across equipment categories and geographies to sustain momentum as the BSNL chapter closes.
To prosecute that strategy, Roy needs a full team around him. Preetham Uthaiah has been appointed chief operating officer, moving up from his current role as vice president of product management for wireless products at Tejas Networks. Uthaiah brings nearly 30 years of global experience spanning engineering, product management, and business development across India and the United States. Before joining Tejas Networks, he served as executive vice president of product management, marketing, and strategy at Saankhya Labs, and held senior roles at Tech Mahindra on both sides of the Atlantic. He holds an MBA from Arizona State University and a degree in electronics and communications from Karnatak University.
On the finance front, AVS Prasad has been approved as chief financial officer, effective May 16, 2026, succeeding Sumit Dhingra, who has resigned. Prasad, currently serving as finance controller at Tejas Networks, brings over 27 years of experience within the Tata Group across telecom, aerostructures, and defence. A company secretary and cost and management accountant by training, he has spent more than 15 years in senior finance roles including CFO and financial controller positions, with expertise spanning corporate finance, treasury management, regulatory compliance, internal audit, and governance.
New chief executive, new chief operating officer, new chief financial officer — all installed in a single move, at a moment when the company’s largest revenue source is drying up and the next chapter remains unwritten. Tejas Networks has placed its bets. Now it has to deliver.
