Rajesh Gupta, Head – Telecom Infra Management, Mahindra Powerol speaks to India Employer Forum about talent sourcing in the telecom industry, recruitment processes and more.
He said, “As a telecom veteran with extensive experience in the field, my insights will be particularly relevant to the telecom profession. Drawing from my recent role at Mahindra, I can better explain the industry dynamics. In telecom, there are two primary roles: managerial and field staff. The managerial and technical experts come from the industry itself and are primarily focused on operations and maintenance. On the field side, the workforce is responsible for ground operations, including the maintenance of tower infrastructure, fibre networks, and power systems.
To attract top talent, we employ different strategies for managerial roles and field operations. The managerial and technical experts are mostly sourced from within the industry. However, there are significant geographical challenges in recruitment. In regions like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, there is an ample talent pool, making recruitment relatively easier. Conversely, in states like Jammu & Kashmir, Assam, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, recruitment is more challenging due to geographical constraints and language barriers. To overcome these challenges, we offer incentives and higher compensation to attract talent in these difficult regions.
Another key challenge is talent sourcing. While we receive numerous applications in states with a strong telecom workforce, hiring in other regions remains difficult. Specialised roles present additional hurdles. For instance, in my current role at Mahindra, recruiting for Jio involves dealing with Jio’s stringent Scrum entry validation and verification process. Many candidates fail to clear this step, making recruitment even more challenging. Additionally, the highly competitive telecom market imposes salary constraints, as declining telecom tariffs due to inter-operator competition impact budget allocations for field staff salaries.
Furthermore, the nature of operations combines tower maintenance and fibre maintenance, making it difficult to find professionals skilled in both areas. Typically, candidates specialise in either tower or fibre maintenance, but we require individuals proficient in both due to budgetary constraints that prevent hiring separate personnel for each task. This limitation further complicates the hiring process.
Another major challenge is ensuring that managerial and technical experts possess a diverse skill set. Beyond their technical expertise, they must be adept at customer support, business development, billing operations, ground staff management, and administrative functions such as handling Excel and other reporting tools. Balancing all these requirements while managing salary limitations remains a key issue in recruiting specialised roles within the telecom industry.”
Watch the full interview: In Conversation with Rajesh Gupta | Head, Telecom Infra Management| Mahindra Powerol
About Rajesh Gupta
Rajesh Gupta is a seasoned business leader with 32+ years of expertise in business growth, strategic leadership, and P&L management. He has held key roles at Tata Telecom, Idea Cellular, Bharti Airtel, Ericsson, and Digital Microwave Corporation. As Business Head – Telecom Division at Mahindra Powerol, Pune, he managed a ₹800 Cr P&L and led 18,000 employees. He holds a B.Tech (IET, Lucknow), M.Engg (IIT Roorkee), and an Executive MBA (IIM Kozhikode), along with a Harvard Business Publishing certificate. A results-driven strategist, he excels in fast-paced environments, driving growth and transformation. You can connect with Rajesh Gupta.
