Sterlite Tech strengthens technology leadership with two appointments

Sterlite Tech, a global data network solutions company, has on-boarded two industry technology leaders as it continues to design, build and manage smarter programmable networks.

The Company’s software-enabled programmable solutions will enable Communication Service Providers (CSPs), enterprises and citizen networks to realise the full potential of web-scale Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) and Software Defined Network (SDN) initiatives.

Ayush Sharma joins the Company as Head of Programmable Networking and Intelligence to drive this strategic business initiative. Bringing more than 20 years of global industry leadership experience across technology, strategy, new business, engineering and service delivery, Ayush will drive new business growth by leveraging open innovation and customer-centric R&D. He is also Sterlite Tech’s representative at the Telecommunications Standards Development Society of India (TSDSI) governing council, and a founding member of the open SDN movement. Prior to joining Sterlite Tech, Ayush served as Senior VP of Engineering and Technology at Reliance Jio. Before that, he led global teams in standardising and deploying new technologies at Huawei and Ericsson.

At the same time, as the Company continues to drive disruptive innovation in new technologies, Rajesh Gangadhar joins as Head of Wireless Broadband Converged Platforms. Rajesh comes to Sterlite Tech with over 20 years of experience in the wireless industry, having held technical and strategic leadership roles in radio access technology transformation cycles across wireless technologies – GSM, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE, Carrier Class Wi-Fi, and now 5G.

He will lead disruptive wireless technologies for last-mile connectivity as a new business initiative at Sterlite Tech, extending gigabit speed and capacity beyond fibre and convergence of wired and wireless technologies. Rajesh joins Sterlite Tech after stints at Cable Labs, Charter Communications, Clearwire Corporation, Sprint and Nextel Communications. He was an early member of the 3.5GHz CBRS initiative in the US, driving small cell requirements for shared spectrum, and has contributed to several spectrum policy decisions, including DSRC, lower 5GHz unlicensed operation at higher power outdoors.

Citing this technology capability built-up, Dr Badri Gomatam, Group CTO, Sterlite Tech, said, “We are delighted to have Ayush and Rajesh join our technology leadership team. With innovations and disruptive technologies at the core of data networks of the future, we believe they will challenge and evolve the present network technologies to prepare for the next phase of evolution in the telecommunications sector.”