Interview with Satya Narain Gupta | Business Leader | Trainer | Coach | Author | Speaker | Chairman of the Board at Bluetown India and BIMSTEC, South Asia
At BrilliantRead Media, we aim to bring to our community some of the finest stories from the leadership world. As part of this endeavour, we invited a passionate business leader – Satya Narain Gupta for an exclusive interview with us. He is a Business Leader, Trainer, Coach, Author, Speaker and Chairman of the Board at Bluetown India and BIMSTEC, South Asia. Let’s learn more about his exciting journey, background, and advice for our growing community.
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Satya:
We are aware of your contributions to the ecosystem; talk us through your background and your journey, please.
I am an International expert in NGN technologies, Regulation, Interconnection and Broadband with 40 years of experience in all aspects of Telecom, including 25 years with Govt. and Regulator, I have also publicly recognized as an Analyst, Author, Advocate and Advisor on ICT related Policies, Projects and Business.
After my post-graduation from IISc. Bangalore, I joined the ministry of Communication in 1981 and the Ministry of railways in 1983. He is the recipient of the Minister of railways award for outstanding performance for the digitalisation project.
I hold a triple master in Electronics Design Technology, IT Management and Telecom Policy and Regulation and globally known as “NGNguru”. I’m also a trainer and coach for telecommunication technologies, policy and regulation and a Regulatory advocate. Author of “Everything over IP-All you want to know about NGN”.
I have authored a concept called “Job Factory- Converting Unemployment into Intrapreneurship”. Which is research-based work, “Long Tail – Walking the Extra Mile on Rural Broadband Business”, brings out the innovative business models for rural broadband connectivity. I have established and mentored a consulting startup named SAAM CorpAdvisors providing Govt. Affairs as Managed Service.
I am the Honorary Secretary General of ITU-APT Foundation of India. Additionally, he is Vice-President and Trustee of PTCIF and Chairs BIF committee on Rural Digital Infrastructure. I have founded NGN Forum in India to spread awareness and capacity building in the field of emerging technologies.
As a member of the Expert panel of Commonwealth Telecom Organisation, we conduct training programs in the areas of NGN Technologies, Broadband Policy and Regulation, Interconnection Costing in NGN Era, Spectrum Management, IPV6, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain and Blue-Ocean Strategy. I am the first Indian recipient of IPv6 Hall of Fame – 2019 by Global IPv6 Forum and also the Chairman of Bharat IPv6 Forum.
Currently, I’m working as a Chairman, BLUETOWN, India & BIMSTEC, S. Asia to forge newer partnerships and “Making It Happen” its Vision of “Connecting the Unconnected people living in Rural areas of World”.
You have worked in leading organisations as a key role, what is the most exciting part of your professional career?
I believe that his most exciting professional phase began only three years ago when I took up an executive role in a start-up. This involved forming an Indian entity for a Danish start-up, BLUETOWN, advocating their hotspot-as-a managed-service business model, providing broadband access in remote areas on a revenue-sharing basis, and heading its operations to make it financially sustainable.
Could you please share with us a brief about the ‘DigiGaon Job Factory Foundation’?
“DigiGaon Job Factory Foundation” – Converting unemployment into Intrapreneurship by creating Public Hotspots and Multi-skilling.
A social enterprise DigiGaon Job Factory Foundation (www.digigaonfoundation.com) is on a mission for Converting unemployment into Intrapreneurship by creating Public Hotspots and Multi-Skilling by making use of available resources and infrastructure (as in ‘Everything on Tower (EoT)’, has been created.
The salient features of this entity are described below:
EoT is based on the availability of subsidized internet backhaul from the Govt. and making use of any available mast in the rural areas or some other existing structure of around 10-15 meters in height. This innovative technological architecture makes use of an innovative rural access technology 5L principles of value innovation namely: Low cost, Low Power, Low Maintenance, Local Control, Local Content.
Normally the installation of a hotspot needs a building space/shelter, a power supply source, a tower on which the access network equipment is to be installed. In addition to the availability of a reliable power supply and a backup source, it also requires a lot of cabling to carry the bandwidth from the backhaul termination point to the BTS and from BTS to the Antenna. This involves a lot of work, cost and maintenance and also creates pollution.
Under the concept of “Everything On the Tower”, the solution does away with all the above mentioned cumbersome and costly requirements and physically put everything on top of the tower in a secured and safe manner. The various network elements which are mounted on the tower are Omni/Sector antenna, filter, backhaul dish. BTS (Controller, power unit, battery, local content server) and solar panel.
Such installation which will have no cable connected to the tower has the potential to convert a village into a smart village with the help of Wi-Fi-based broadband access in a very cost-effective manner.
Our audience would like to know, what is your biggest strength?
I believe in delegating work. I have the ability to execute projects that is one of my biggest strength.
How did you balance your work-life?
“I don’t believe in a work-life balance, but am trying to practise a work-life blend”
With so much going on, how do you start the day to keep your passion alive?
“The most attractive part of my job is having complete freedom to run the business” – That’s what keeps my passion alive.
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
