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.