Completion_Minister of Communication_Mr. Manoj Sinha_Congratulatory Note from Mr. Rajiv Mehrotra_Chairman, Shyam Telecom
“Congratulations to the Hon’ble Minister of Communication and BSNL on completion of Phase I of BharatNet. As creators of Digital Villages, we assure the government that we stand by the government’s vision of ‘Digital India’ and are committed to helping connectivity reach rural and remote locations through initiatives such as BharatNet through indigenously developed and manufactured, sustainable wireless access technology.”
Rajiv Mehrotra, a telecom industry veteran and serial entrepreneur, is the founder and Chairman of Shyam, India’s leading diversified telecommunications group. In a career spanning over 40 years, he has many firsts to his credit. He also featured in the Time magazine’s list of Tech Pioneers Who will Change Your Life.
In 1974, as a young electronics engineer, he pioneered the manufacture of satellite TVRO systems that brought cable TV to millions in India. He then launched Shyam Telecom - a global name in mobile coverage solutions, Hexacom (GSM services) and Shyam Telelink (now Sistema Shyam Teleservices Limited). His efforts established Essel Shyam as the leading name in VSAT services in India.
In 2004 he launched VNL (Vihaan Networks Ltd.) with the dream of connecting the billions of unconnected across the world using sustainable technology to deliver affordable mobile and broadband services. Under his guidance VNL has won extensive international acclaim for innovation and is the only Indian company today that manufactures and exports its own end-to-end mobile infrastructure solutions to countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. VNL is also the first company in the world to deploy the single largest completely “green telecom” network in India.
Under his leadership, VNL has won several prestigious industry awards and recognitions, to name a few:
•GSMA’s Global Mobile Award for Best Green Programme Product or Initiative
•Technology Pioneer 2010 by World Economic Forum,
•Technology Innovation Award from The Wall Street Journal,
•Best Green Infrastructure Provider at Telecom Asia’s Readers’ Choice Award
•Awarded m-Business & Commerce category of the 2010 mBillionth Awards
•Awarded second place in the Green Network Hardware and Infrastructure category at the CTIA’s E-Tech awards
He actively cooperates with the Association of Basic Telecom Operators, Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association and is a member of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) Telecom Committee. Mr. Mehrotra is a member of the Board of Directors of Sistema Shyam Teleservices and was also on the board of SISTEM JFC (MTS Owners), the Russian telecom firm.
An active industry spokesperson, he is a passionate advocate for India’s indigenous telecom R&D and manufacturing.
VNL (Vihaan Network Ltd)
Vihaan Networks Limited (VNL), a part of the Shyam Group, was founded in 2004 as a telecommunication enabler that indigenously develops end-to-end telecom infrastructure products and solutions. VNL has earned the distinction of being one of the first Indian companies with who realised the potential of R&D in the telecom sector. A 350-strong workforce of engineers come together each day at the software and hardware laboratories at our headquarter at Gurgaon to achieve new benchmarks through innovation in the field of telecommunications.
At VNL, we help the communities and populations connect through technological advancements in the field of telecom infrastructure at rural and urban areas to thrive through the new tools of communication. Our systems are currently deployed in India, Nepal, Myanmar, Indonesia, Bolivia, Bhutan, Kenya, Uganda & Ghana, and have empowered the lives of people living in rural and remote areas in these countries.