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Heramb Ranade
PGPMAX Founding Class
Chief Marketing Officer at Tikona Digital Networks
Present Occupation: Chief marketing officer at Tikona Digital Networks
Sector: Telecom
Work Experience: 23 years
Interests – Professional/Personal: Music and cosmology
Can you tell us a little about your family background/history?
I come from a middle class family. My father, Dhundiraj Ranade and mother, Anuradha Ranade (expired in 2008) worked in a bank. I have two younger sisters, one lives in the US and the other is married to an army officer currently posted at Shillong. My wife Mugdha Ranade is a free lance HR consultant and daughter Tanaya studies in std VI at Bombay Scottish School, in Powai, Mumbai.
Briefly describe your personal and professional achievements (including recent awards\special projects)
I have 23 years of experience in the telecommunications industry spanning enterprise, carrier infrastructure, telecom operator and broadband service provider segments. Prior to joining TDN, I was leading the product innovation and lifecycle management function for the enterprise and broadband businesses at Reliance Communications and help build the industry’s leading edge product portfolio for these businesses.
Tell us about your profile pre ISB, and recap your professional life after ISB including your career progression
I am one of the three members of the founding leadership team at Tikona Digital Networks a baby Telco today, founded by ex-telecom professionals. TDN won the BWA (4G LTE) spectrum giving access to 23% urban population, 25% mobile revenue at 8% of national spectrum price. It has acquired 70,000 sites in less than a year, paving way for Tikona to become the largest outdoor wifi network worldwide. Brand Tikona was launched in 2009 and by 2010 it was in the top 3 private ISP brands with services in the top 25 cities of India.
Describe your fondest memory at ISB
The parties we used to have in almost every term, which used to be full of life and fun made possible by few top notch performers in our batch by great singer and entertainer Mahesh, magician Prashant and a bunch of jolly souls including the faculty who used to laugh whole heartedly at the mimicry done on them.
In your personal life, how have you changed post-ISB? Do you see yourself doing something differently because you went to ISB? What has left a lasting impression?
ISB has certainly inculcated a habit to observe, study, analyse, factor diverse inputs and ask for expert inputs or validation, which I think was far less pronounced in my way of working earlier. This new approach when blended with the general sense and feel developed through experience makes a potent combination for managers and leader to do both the right things and doing them rightly.
How do you think ISB has contributed to your career growth?
I am not sure that it has contributed as yet to my career growth, but it has immensely raised my potential to contribute to the business. I am sure career growth and other rewards will follow.
If you have to sum up ISB in one word:
Humbling
What was the main highlight of your programme at the ISB?
Truly world class and outstanding faculty
Word of advice for the current class?
You may most likely be wishing that you had spent more quality time prior to and during the terms after you pass out of ISB. So while you are there make the most of it.
What was your favourite course/class at ISB and why?
Strategy. A) Best faculty B) Our practicum topic was also in the strategy area C) Has helped me the most in my day to day business
Was there anyone during your time at ISB who acted as a mentor for you? Tell us a little about this relationship and why it was valuable.
The entire faculty and each member in our batch has influenced and inspired me and there is so much of learning I was able to book from their thought leadership and knowledge.
What are the areas that you can contribute in to ISB?
I can be the link between ISB and the telecom industry.
What do you enjoy most about your current career position?
Innovating whether it is in products, processes, automation, communication, organisation or culture.
What is the next new thing in the industry or vertical you are working in? Any trends that you can see?
4G mobile data services. It is likely to be the next revolution after mobile and possibly larger than it. We have seen how the mobility revolution swept the country in the last decade and it will possibly be the first utility that would be touching almost all of the 1 billion plus Indians soon.