Lok Sabha Question No. 4130 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-18
Subject: Foreign Nationals as CEOs
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Behanan Benny

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4130 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 TH  MARCH, 2020

## FOREIGN NATIONALS AS CEOs

## 4130. SHRI BENNY BEHANAN:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the  process  laid  down  by  the  Government  allowing  foreign  nationals  to  be  Chief  Executive Officers (CEOs) of sensitive telecom and Information Technology (IT) related organisation/companies;
- (b) whether  the  private  Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSPs)  in  the  country  are  headed  by  foreign nationals and if so, the details thereof along with the names of such CEOs; and
- (c) whether the Ministry of Home  Affairs is involved in scrutinizing the credentials of aforementioned CEOs before giving them final clearance for such appointments?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)

- (a) Security Clearance to foreign personnel at the position of Chairman, Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and/or Chief Financial Officer (CFO), is governed as per the provisions under Clause No. 39.23(vii) of Chapter VI of License Agreement for Unified License, which reads as below:

'The positions of the Chairman, Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and/or Chief Financial  Officer  (CFO),  if  held  by  foreign  nationals,  would  require  to  be  security  vetted  by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). Security vetting shall be required periodically on yearly basis. In  case  something  adverse  is  found  during  the  security  vetting,  the  direction  of  MHA  shall  be binding on the Licensee .'

Accordingly the Telecom Service Provider concerned applies to the Department of Telecommunications  which  is  forwarded  to  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs.  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs convey  the  security  clearance  to  the  Department  of  Telecommunications  after  scrutinizing  the credentials of such persons.

- (b) Yes Sir. The details of such foreign nationals and the service providers are as below:

|   S No. | Name                  | Nationality   | Service Provider                               | Post held                                |
|---------|-----------------------|---------------|------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Mr. Richard Jacowleff | USA           | MNP Interconnection Telecom Solutions Pvt. Ltd | Chairman Nominee on the Board of Company |

|   S No. | Name                       | Nationality   | Service Provider            | Post held                                           |
|---------|----------------------------|---------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------|
|       2 | Mr. Ravinder Takkar        | USA           | Vodafone Idea Ltd.          | Chief Executive Officer& Managing Director          |
|       3 | Mr. Vinod Anandkumar Kumar | Singapore     | Tata Communications Limited | Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer |

(c) Yes Sir. Department of Telecommunications grants the approval based on security clearance from Ministry of Home Affairs.

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