Are you disappointed by the decision to defer MTNL's disinvestment?
It does not make economic sense to defer disinvestment, because MTNL could have got the best evaluation, at this time. After private operators come in and competition increases, it will be difficult to sell it at the rate which MTNL, being a monopoly could have got today. Look at Maruti now, its market share has dropped so much, because of the increase in competition. If the government sells it now, will it be able to command the price it could have got, when other players were not there?

When you are planning to sell a family jewel, to get rid of a huge debt, you must ensure it gets the best price possible.

How about the MTNL employees, who feel threatened by the prospect of disinvestment?
I think if the fundamental fears of the employees are removed, they will support the concept. Union people usually associate privatisation with hiring and firing. However, the labour laws in our country are so strong, firing is not as simple as they think, even in the private sector. May be at higher levels, people's employment is directly linked to their performance, but it very difficult to touch people at the lower levels. Moreover, in today's context, the concept of life long employment in one company is passe.

Even in marriages, couples prefer to stay apart, rather than spend a life time in an unhappy marriage. The key is that the person should make sure he/she is employable. And there are enough opportunities to accommodate skilled telecom professionals. market is virtually still untapped.

So people who have acquired higher skill sets should not have a problem finding a better job at better pay scales. Moreover, the pays would be better and more performance oriented. So a high performer will get more pay and rewards than a non-performer. But there are concerns among employees about losing the benefits of being Government employee.

There is a fear that the Government will not honour its commitments to the employees and we must remove this fear. Disinvestment does not mean desecuritisation. We can take care of their concerns, so that the employees do not have to lose what they have earned in the past 10-20 years of their association with MTNL. Government will honour its commitments. Moreover, if disinvestment happens, the shares will not be sold to a proprietory company run by an individual owner, but to financial institutions.

Who do you think will prove to be the best strategic partner for MTNL?
I think only foreign companies have pockets that are deep enough to fund the investments required in telecom, which is a very capital intensive sector. The ideal partner should be able to bring with it good practices, marketing skills (in which we are lacking right now) and technology. We are still using outdated technology and it might soon prove to be a disadvantage.

My biggest fear is that if it goes in wrong hands, MTNL might not remain the cash cow that it is right now. What we need on the Board and in the management, are people who have ownership and stake in the company. It will make a world of difference in the way this organization works, if decisions and functioning is with people who have put their money in it. And of course, the time we waste in going through the whole bureaucracy to even take a single decision and answering audits, parliamentary questions, and the like, will be saved and we will be able to provide far superior and efficient service.