Shri Vimal Wakhlu

Shri 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, in 1977, and an MBA in Marketing from IGNOU, he has about 43 years of experience in the field of Telecom and Information Technology, including e-Networks, Mobile, 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 connecting 48 African nations with India for Education and Health Services, and also the SAARC e-Network.

Starting his career with NHPC in 1977, he subsequently worked with Overseas Communications Services (later VSNL and now Tata Communications Ltd.) until 1983. As an officer of the Indian Telecommunications Service, he held various positions in the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) from 1983 to 2000 and BSNL from 2000 to 2006, including Director of Satellite Maintenance, Western Telecom Region, and General Manager of Mobile Services in Maharashtra and the North East Circles.

He was associated with TCIL in various capacities from December 2006 until January 2016, including Executive Director (Transmission), Director (Technical), and Chairman & Managing Director. TCIL scaled new heights during this phase, besides securing several large-value global and domestic projects.

He has served as a Director on the Boards of TTL (Tamil Telecommunications Limited), TBL International, TCIL Saudi Ltd., and Bharti Hexacom Limited.

He is a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) of the Project Management Institute (PMI), Pennsylvania, United States.

He is a Life Fellow of IETE (Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers) and a member of the TRAC Committee.

He is a Life Member of the ITU APT Foundation of India and its current Vice President.

He is a member of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers).

He is a member of DCIF (Digital Communications India Forum) and its current Vice President.

He has been a visiting faculty member teaching Business of Telecom Management at Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), as well as Advanced Mobile Communications, Satellite Communications, and Optical Fiber Communication at the University of Mumbai, Pune University, and the Advanced Level Telecom Training Centre (ALTTC). He has also been delivering lectures on how technologies can be leveraged for entrepreneurship.

He has participated in panel discussions at various forums on a wide variety of subjects, including Education, Health, Disaster Management, Financial Inclusion, Environment, Energy Management, Security, Cyber Security, Governance, Telecommunications, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, and the Internet of Things. His specialization is in leveraging technology to mitigate challenges faced by underprivileged people in developing nations.

Currently, he works as a freelance consultant, advising companies on technology transfer, capacity building, and project execution, as well as advising some state governments on project and program management. He is also a Director at Sustainable Smart Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

He is an expert in the Working Groups of the United for Smart Sustainable Cities (U4SSC), an initiative of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

He is also an expert in the Focus Group on Artificial Intelligence for Environmental Efficiency (FGAI4EE) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).