CEO Insights Magazine

The Chief Operating Officer's function is evolving due to need, and this change in responsibility is becoming critical for many businesses. Effective and highly competent COOs are widely recognized as essential for a company's growth and efficiency. Companies in the telecom sector have reached a level in the face of fast technological advancements, realizing the need for a fundamental transformation in their business models. More than ever, the COO's vision and capacity to adapt to change are critical distinguishing elements in the marketplace.

In an increasingly complicated pandemic affected market,it has been excruciatingly difficult to adopt changes, accomplish growth, and continue to innovate to stay ahead of the competition. However, Polycab India's Telecom Business COO, Ashish D Jain believes that broadening one's horizons in thinking is always beneficial. Ashish developed a strategy on how to develop and position the firm in ways that would provide them with a competitive advantage and help them establish more resilience in a post crisis scenario.

In an exclusive conversation with CEO Insights, Ashish spoke about his professional journey and the challenges faced to flourish as a successful leader.
I was an outsider in the wire and cable realm with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Computers. But it was a simple mindset adjustment that ignited my career, which began with Gujarat Telephone Cables. I was confident in my career path and embraced each step with zeal and determination. The ability to adapt naturally aided me in making the transition into a professional.

After maturing at every level of my professional career, I've reached a stage where I know what I can deliver my organization at its finest. I present my ideas and opinions to the table to improve outcomes for the greater benefit. Every day, team deliver ability gives me the motivation to keep moving forward. The greatest fulfilment for me comes from assisting individuals

and preparing them for the next level so that they may make a greater contribution to our organization.

How would you define Polycab Telecom as an organization and its position in the industry? What is its USP?
Polycab India Ltd. has a nearly six decade historyin the wire and cable manufacturing and FMEGs industries. In 2014,I joined Polycab for their greenfield project, which was the manufacture of Optical Fibre Cables. Over time, I envisioned a new vertical inside Polycab, which was telecom, and now, Polycab Telecom is recognized as Polycab India's telecom business. While most telecom companies in India are involved in either manufacturing or distribution, we are unique in the industry because we are involved in both manufacturing and distribution of Optical Fibre Cables(OFCs) and passive networking products, as well as having empowered backward integration capabilities. With the successful completion of two BharatNet projects in a row, we are now firmly established as a Telecom EPC supplier in the industry's top echelons.

Furthermore, Polycab has been an industry leader in a variety of areas, ranging from wires and cables to FMEG products, and we are the country's largest manufacturer of wire and cable, with a 22 percent market share. Following the same path, our Chairman Inder T. Jaisinghani, has established a clear vision to position telecom as a worldwide leader and to establish a significant footprint in the telecom business.

Till now, what are the techniques or strategies you’ve acquired as an industry leader and how do you apply them in tackling complex situations in particular?
As a leader, I believe I am in charge of influencing the work that my team and I perform. My team now thrives on the ideals of shared accomplishment and shared journey.

I've also learned that while we don't have direct control over opportunities, we can improve our chances of seizing them by being prepared.

Man, Machine, and Material have been the three main focuses for me. We can swiftly and efficiently simplify task management processes by aiming for resource mobilization and optimization with comprehensive digital assimilations. Reaching a solution, or even the process of getting there is undeniably thrilling.

Reflect on some of the major challenges you’ve experienced in your journey so far? How did you overcome them and what did you learn from them?
There is usually a sense of nervousness and anxiousness when starting a new job. You want to succeed, but the learning curve is severe. It's never been easy to find the appropriate personnel, create a brand, or grow a consumer base. I've put myself in a lot of different scenarios to figure out my strengths and weaknesses. I know for a fact that when one is ready, the paths appear on their own. Over the years, I've learned that consistency is more important than the idea or approach to anything. At work, remaining adaptable has allowed me to push the envelope to discover the best answer to problems.

Going forward, what are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate, and what are the opportunities that you foresee?
We're speeding toward a smarter future, due to significant connectivity and continual information flow. As high speed data becomes the new lifeline, networks will need to be highly robust and dependableto accept and send inconceivably large amounts of data. The importance of digital infrastructure as a foundation for efficient and future proof data networks cannot be overstated. With its strong new services and solutions that produce progressively new values in connection with IoT and other future technologies, Polycab Telecom sees a huge chance to contribute to a networked smart world.

Ashish D Jain, Executive President & COO - Telecom Business, Polycab India
Following the completion of his Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science, Ashish made a major career switch and began working for Gujarat Telephone Cables. After 12years at Gujarat Telephone Cables, Ashish joined Teracom as the Head of Operations. Ashish was the Vice President of Vuppalamritha Magnetic Components (VMCL) in Hyderabad before joining Polycab in 2014.