Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) stands on the verge of a telecom revolution in the Indian market. India, home to 1.2 billion people has for long been touted as a nation where the telecom sector’s immense potential has been vastly untapped. While many telecom operators have taken advantage of the need for excellent connectivity, advancements in technology have resulted in faster, more reliable services; the top of the line being third generation or 3G services.
At this point though, the focus of the telecommunication sector in India is solely on fourth-generation or 4G services. In this domain, the only entity to have made a mark is Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJIL). The Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) owned company is the sole company to have received a pan-India 4G license and is looking at a launch date of Q4 2014. Seeking a professional and experienced hand to run the ship, the company recently announced the appointment of Sunil Dutt as President. Mr. Dutt, a veteran of the telecom sector has worked with industry stalwarts such as Blackberry, Samsung and Nokia Oyi in addition to stints at Hewlett-Packhard (HP), Whirlpool India Pvt. Ltd., and coffee chain Barista Coffee Company Ltd.
With over three decades of experience in this industry, Dutt has seen the telecom landscape change from a paltry non-existent since the days of Indira Gandhi to that of a telecom hotbed in the 21st Century. His appointment comes at a critical juncture of RJIL who is looking to launch its highly awaited services within a few months. Furthermore, he brings with himself a rather unique distinction of having commandeered the rise of two mobile giants in India – Blackberry and Samsung. Before serving as the Managing Director (MD) of RIM’s BlackBerry, Dutt was country head for Samsung India Electronics Ltd when the Korean company witnessed growth in its mobile devices business. Samsung’s “Next is what” campaign was launched during Dutt’s tenure.
Reliance Jio’s growth plans are ambitious; the company plans to increase its total workforce to 10,000 this year. Apart from the nationwide 4G license, the company has also made news for its collaborations with Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel and his brother Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications. All of this is done to expedite the launch of fourth generation services which the company hopes will put RJIL in a unique position as a market leader.