Vimal Wakhlu is the former Chairman & Managing Director of Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. (TCIL), a Government of India Enterprise, Past President of The Telemedicine Society of India and the Ex-Board Member of ISfTeH (International Society for Telemedicine & e-Health).

A Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) from National Institute of Technology, Srinagar 1977, and MBA Marketing from IGNOU, he has more than 45 years of experience in Telecom and Information Technology, including e-Networks, Mobile Communications, etc.

He has been instrumental in the successful implementation of the prestigious Government of India’s Pan African e-Network Project, a project envisioned by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the Former President of India, providing a platform to 48 nations in Africa to India for Education and Health Services, and also the SAARC e-Network.

Starting his career with NHPC in 1977, followed by Overseas Communications Services (later VSNL and now Tata Communications Ltd.) till 1983.

• Implemented the prestigious Indo-USSR Troposcatter Communication Project between Kashmir and Dushanbe, Tajikistan, in 1981, and subsequently the maintenance of the same till July 1983.
• During this phase, in collaboration with NIT Srinagar, helped in repair of damaged components of the equipment like RF waveguides and Combiners, indigenously.

As an officer of the Indian Telecommunications Service he held various positions in DOT (Department of Telecom) from 1983 to 2000 and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) from 2000 to 2006, including Director Satellite Maintenance, Western Telecom Region, and General Manager, Mobile Services in Maharashtra and the North East Circles. Some responsibilities included:

• Member of the group for Satellite based services retrofitting of INSAT series of satellites between 1985-87
• Operation and Maintenance of the first Optical Fiber Network in the country between Ahmedabad and Baroda 1988-89
• Implementation of First 6GHz Wideband Digital Microwave System (Fujistu Make) in the country between Mumbai to Chennai in 1989-90.
• Established indigenous facility for repair of Application Specific IC based RF cards for Fujitsu make Wideband Digital Microwave Systems, Mumbai in 1993.
• Head of the Special task force for re-establishment of the Satellite based National DoorDarshan (DD) TV Telecast in Srinagar in July 1993, despite heavy odds in face of militancy and lack of resources.
• First High Speed VSAT based Data Network in India, with Mumbai hub, 1995-96
• West Zone coordinator of 1st Cellular mobile network rollout by BSNL, 2002.
• Roll out of Cellular Mobile Network in six states of North East 2005-2006

He has been involved in TCIL in various capacities From December 2006 till January 2016, including Executive Director (Transmission) and Director (Technical) and Chairman & Managing Director. TCIL has scaled new heights during this phase, besides bagging some large value global and domestic projects.

• Consultancy for National Optical Fibre Network (NOFN) -Gram Panchayats in India
• Consultancy for USOF for augmentation of District to Block Network in commercially unviable states
• Project Management Consultation for Implementation of a Secured Telecom Network for the Government of Delhi in 2010
• Project Management Consultants for SASEC (South Asia Sub Regional Economic Cooperation) Information Highway Project for Bhutan and Nepal (ADB funded)
• Consultancy for SSNNL Canal Automation Project
• Network for Spectrum Project – Optical Fiber Network for Defense Forces
• Wireless Network Projects in Bhutan and Nepal
• Navy Communication Project
• Satellite based communication Projects – DSPT
• Implementation of SAARC e-Network for Health

Served as Director on the Boards of:

• TTL -Tamil Telecommunications Ltd.
• TBL – TCIL BellSouth Ltd.
• TCIL- Saudi Ltd.
• UTL – United Telecom Limited Nepal
• BHL- Bharati Hexacom Limited.

International Assignments:

• Two months of specialized training undertaken in OFC, Radio, Digital MUX at the International Training Centre of Fujitsu, Japan in Oct. 1989
• Represented India at the ITU Seminar on Maritime Communications at Jakarta, Indonesia in May 1991
• Deputed for testing and approval of telecom equipment at Varian facility in Canada in November 1992
• Member of Indian Delegation to France and Monaco for studying the GSM Networks, in September 1996
• Member of BSNL Delegation to Bell Labs. USA for partnership on the Next Generation Networks Migration, Planning and Design in November 2001.
• Part of BSNL Delegation to GSM World Congress, Cannes, France Feb 2002
• Represented BSNL at GSMA conference Los Angeles, USA in Sep 2003

Papers Presented:

• Paper on Economics, Financing and Partnerships in e-Health at ECOSOC Africa Regional Ministerial Meeting on e-Health- Use of ICT for health, in Ghana, in June 2009
• Paper on e-Networking to Ministers of Pacific Small Island Developing (PSIDS) Nations on the sidelines of UN Session in NewYork Sep 2010.
• Paper on Telemedicine, SAARC Seminar on e- Health in Bhutan July 2009
• Acceptance testing of 6GHz Digital Microwave Systems– ‘Telecommunications’ – August 1990 (Journal published by the Technical Development Circle of Department of Telecommunications, India)

Teaching Assignments:

• Visiting faculty on Advanced Mobile Communications including 3G/ 4G systems in Mumbai University for training the faculty members of the various Engineering colleges in Mumbai.
• Visiting faculty on Mobile, Optical, Satellite based, Digital Microwave communications in Pune University for training the faculty members of the various Engineering colleges in Maharashtra.
• Visiting faculty on Mobile Communications, Optical Communications, Satellite Communications, Digital Microwave communications at Advanced Level Telecom Centre, Ghaziabad, BRBRAIT Centre Jabalpur, Centre for Excellence in Telecom Technology and Management, MTNL, Mumbai.
• Guest faculty at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Mumbai (NMIMS) on Business of Telecom Management

Other Assignments:

• Served as CVC appointed Independent External Monitor for BSNL (2017-19)
• Member of the expert group of VRDE, Ministry of Defense on the development of ground based unmanned vehicle during 2004-05.
• Incharge of NORAD, Norwegian Government Project for education of Urban poor Women in Mumbai, as Hon. Secretary of IETE, Mumbai for 3 years 1996-1999.

Membership of Professional bodies:

• Member of Project Management Institute (PMI), Pennsylvania, United States
• Certified Project Management Professional since 2010.
• Life Fellow of IETE –Institution Of Electronics and Telecom Engineers,
• Life Fellow of TSI– Telemedicine Society of India and its Past President
• Life Member of the ITU APT Foundation of India and current Vice President.
• Member of IEEE (Institution of Electrical and Electronics Engineers),   
• Member of DCIF (Digital Communications India Forum) and Vice President

Current engagements:

• Freelance Consultant advising companies on Technology transfer, Capacity building, Project execution

• His specialization is in leveraging technology for mitigating challenges faced by underprivileged people of developing nations.

• Advising startups in the Emerging Technologies domain
• Expert in Working Groups on United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC), an initiative of ITU (International Telecommunications Union)-UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission on Europe)
• Expert in Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Efficiency (FGAI4EE), as well as Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Health (FG AI4H), of ITU (International Telecommunications Union)
• Director at Sustainable Smart Solutions Pvt. Ltd.