Aga will replace CEO Rajan Mathews, who will soon head to AT&T in the US. Aditya Birla group sources said that Aga is expected to take charge next month.

The new CEO is expected to be based in Pune, where the joint venture company is based. Birla AT&T has acquired two circles for cellular services: Gujarat and Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai, but including Goa).

The company says it has plans to set up 300 cell sites, five mobile switching centres, and cover half of all the district areas that come within its area over the first three years.

Upon completion of the network, the company will have one of the largest private microwave communications systems. The services were launched in December 1996.

In Maharashtra, Birla AT&T has now covered the important cities of Pune, Nasik,Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Satara, Kolhapur and Sangli. It has also covered four of the country's busiest highways -- Mumbai-Pune, Pune-Nashik, Pune-Kolhapur (via Satara) and Pune-Aurangabad.

Goa has also been covered to a large extent. In the Gujarat circle, the company has launched its services in Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Bharuch and Surat, as well as the Ahmedabad-Baroda-Bharuch-Surat highways.

Birla AT&T is believed to be the first cellular company to provide services along major highways and railroads. As cellular services is most used by people on the move, this is expected to give the company considerable mileage.

The joint venture had become the first telecom company in the country to raise $283 million from the international market without any corporate guarantees from promoter companies.