RIL heavyweights add muscle to Reliance Jio

Meswani, Prasad and Nanavati to oversee rollout of telecom services

Nikhil R Meswani wears several hats: The executive director of Reliance Industries is primarily responsible for the petrochemicals division, apart from corporate affairs, taxation policies, and the cricket franchise 'Mumbai Indians'. Meswani, who is promoter Mukesh Ambani's cousin, now has one more hat to wear - at least for one year. He will lead a team of top RIL officials for the group's foray into voice and data services through Reliance Jio Infocomm.

Meswani is in good company. Another key member of the RIL team for the telecom foray is Executive Director P M S Prasad. With RIL for over 32 years, he runs the company's petroleum business. According to a person close to the development, Prasad, besides overseeing his current assignment, will guide top executives in the four circles of South India.

Another RIL executive who is likely to play a crucial role in the rollout of Reliance Jio's services is Kamal P Nanavati, who, like Prasad, was part of the telecommunication business of the undivided Reliance group. About a decade ago, Nanavati was appointed chief executive officer of Reliance Infocomm, RIL's telecom & broadband outfit. Earlier, he was president of the company's cracker & polymer business and the Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd, which later merged with RIL.

Though an email sent to RIL remained unanswered, a top company executive told Business Standard that the leadership team at the group level would be involved with the telecom venture to see it take off. This isn't anything unusual as whenever the group moves to a new project, Reliance's core project management team gets fully involved with it. According to a company statement, from less than 700 professionals a year ago, the Reliance Jio team has grown rapidly to build a national footprint of over 3,000 professionals. With the latest spectrum acquisition, the telecom venture would be the holder of the largest quantum of liberalised spectrum, Ambani had said on February 14.

The group had in May 2010 acquired a 95 per cent stake in Infotel Broadband from Mahendra Nahata-promoted Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd, reportedly for about Rs 4,800 crore. Infotel was the only company to acquire BWA spectrum in all 22 circles.

Infotel Broadband was conceptualised by Mukesh Ambani's close aide Manoj Modi, who was responsible for the undivided Reliance group's first telecom venture, Reliance Infocomm. That venture was transferred to Anil Ambani in 2006 when the two brothers decided to split the group's businesses between them.

With Reliance Jio, Mukesh Ambani's Reliance group is entering the telecom space for the first time since the split. The telecom company has also entered into agreements with Anil Ambani's Reliance Communications and Bharti Airtel for sharing of telecom towers and fibre-optic networks.

CONNECTING
Key members of RIL's team for its telecom venture

Nikhil R Meswani

* Joined RIL in 1986

* A whole-time director since July 1988, designated as executive director on the company's board

* Primarily responsible for RIL's petrochemicals division

P M S Prasad

* With RIL for over 32 years

* A whole-time director since Aug 2009, designated as executive director of the company's board

* Has held positions in the fibres, petrochem, refining & marketing and exploration businesses

Kamal P Nanavati

* Was part of the telecommunications business of the undivided Reliance group

* Was appointed CEO of Reliance Infocomm Ltd, the telecom and broadband outfit of RIL, about a decade back