C Sivasankaran

A Harvard Business School graduate and first generation

entrepreneur, Shri C Sivasankaran has led SIG to be at the vanguard of the

highly technology-oriented Internet and telecom revolution in India. In early

eighties, he created a phenomenon in hardware circles by selling PCs with an

unbelievably modest price tag of Rs 33,000. Shri Sivasankaran launched Aircel in

1997-98, which rapidly captured the market in South. Aircel became a formidable

mobile service provider in South India and Sivasankaran took the bold step of

taking licenses to operate in West Bengal, J&K, North East, Himachal Pradesh

amongst others. He also incorporated Dishnet DSL, the country's first DSL

Internet provider in 1998.

However, he sold the Internet service division of Dishnet DSL to VSNL for Rs

270 crore. And more recently, in 2005, he struck a major deal when Aircel was

acquired by the JV of Malaysian telecom, Maxis and Reddy family of the Apollo

Hospital group. Although, Sivasankaran's telecom story has come to an end, he

will be remembered for the indelible impact he had on Indian telecom with his

right deals and innovative approach. Shri Sivasankaran was conferred the

National Award for Outstanding Entrepreneurship in 1989.