TOWARDS A BOUNDARLESS ASIA
ALL EYES ON ASCENDANT ASIA
ASIA’S PRE-EMINENT BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT LEADERS CONVERGED IN MALAYSIA AS THEY DELIBERATED THE COURSE NEEDED TO MAKE ASIA THE BUSINESS HUB OF THE WORLD
Over the past decade, Asia has been home to some of the world’s fastest-growing economies and can now boast of major contributions to global growth. Indeed, the region’s ascendancy in the global economy is likely to continue with regional businesses making their impact felt worldwide.
In an effort to foster regional bonhomie, The Economic Times brought together iconic and upcoming leaders of Asia Inc. under one roof in Malaysia as the heads of some of the most successful corporations in the region convened to chalk out the broad roadmap for progress for the Asian region.
Turning around the Telecom tide
We engage GTL Infrastructure Chairman Manoj Tirodkar in a candid conversation as he talks us through a 3-decade journey that sees him at the vanguard of the telecom revolution.
Take us through the initial journey of GTL.
>> Historically, we started our business as being Telecom distributors. Over the years we’ve brought in technology that allowed us to carry data traffic. We were the first ones to provide e-mail and Internet connectivity in the country way back in 1995. We had a company called Global e-Commerce that allowed Internet connectivity to corporates and banks. We monetized this business for USD 1.2 Bn in 2000 and recognized that the whole evolution that’s happening in cellular is actually going to drive data revolution, provided access to Internet and mobile phone is made easy
and the only way that could happen was a proliferation of fiber and towers throughout the country.
Source : The Economic Times
So we started building, managing and maintaining the towers. Over the years we recognized that owning these towers as a neutral and independent player could mean that other mobile operators who received licenses could end up sharing them. This is what we witness now as we see R Jio emerging as our second largest customer in less than two years (in 2017).
What would Manoj Tirodkar say was a pivotal moment for GTL?
>> Recognizing the need of data explosion going back all the way in 1994, and cultivating and creating a business of e-commerce out of that was the most important step that allowed us to excel in the years to come. The money that GTL raised out of monetizing Global e-Commerce was deployed in building towers, thus laying the foundations of our future success.
How has GTL under Chairman Manoj Tirodkar aligned itself with Digital India?
>> It’s not just about creating buildings or a tower or making sure that everything around it keeps connecting the world. 2G, 3G, 4G, are only deliverable services whose signals/ airwaves get transmitted using the tower and related Telecom infrastructure. We envisaged this in 1992 and started building a business around towers. Today the Global Group has Revenue in excess of USD 600 million and an Asset base of USD 2.5 Billion. It is contributing to making the vision of connected India a grand reality by keeping everyone connected through its state of the art network of 28,000 mobile towers, located across all the 22 telecom circles; thereby enabling the vision of Digital India.
What is Manoj Tirodkar’s formula for success?
>> Success is what other people do to you. What you can do is have your own conviction, hard work and ethical value system to enable others to assist you.
What would Manoj Tirodkar say is the DNA of a leader?
>> The measure of success is not just “economics”. The leader has to manage the aspirations of his people, thus his ability to understand the pulse of the market and his people is important. A leader has thus to focus on creativity, innovation and risk-taking. Above all, through his journey, he also has to delight the stakeholders, employees, customers and society at
large. Everything about leadership is not just about money, or benefits or status or market. I think one of my biggest learnings as I make that journey every day, is that I am also dealing with thousands of people’s aspirations, their emotional, personal, social, philosophical and financial expectations. Living up to that is the major challenge that I face. I think that’s what gets my passion ignited.
How does a leader evolve in Manoj Tirodkar’s opinion?
>> From an entrepreneur’s standpoint, failure is an essential part of success. When I look back and I see that once or twice that I failed, it was vital that I was able to pick up those pieces and run with it.
Having self-belief is equally important, and a lot of this is only possible if you go back to my basic theory. As you look around the world, there’s a lot of knowledge, aspiration and direct or indirect support that you can get. Whether you believe in drawing from that support and constantly learning to stay one step ahead is the key.
‘‘A leader has to focus on creativity, innovation and risk taking.”
-Manoj tirodkar
What is Manoj Tirodkar’s biggest inspiration?
>> My way of looking at life is a bit different, in that I draw energy and inspiration from several people. For example, you can learn from the assertiveness, decisiveness and care for the poor from Prime Minister
Modi, who wants to do something for the country and it’s poor. You can learn from Bill Gates in terms of innovation and invention, from Mukesh Ambani’s persistence and vision that transformed a voice-centric Telecom Industry into a data-driven market.
One can also learn from own mistakes. I’m constantly looking around, I’m constantly absorbing, as knowledge has become all-pervasive, and it is no one’s monopoly. If one is really sincere he or she can garner as much knowledge on a subject as needed in today’s connected world and make improvement to self and your organization.
What has been Manoj Tirodkar’s biggest learning?
>> Regardless of who you are, if you have a goal, and you are prepared to take one step every morning towards your goal, you will get there one day. To me, the measure of success is not just economical. You have to be focused on creativity, innovation and risk-taking and above all, as you take this journey, enjoy and distribute happiness by giving back to the society.