Rajiv Sawhney

CEO, Essar Communications

Date of Birth: 1960

Mr. Sawhney earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the Government College for Men in Chandigarh in 1979 and a degree from the Indian Institute of Management in 1981 before beginning his career as a telecom executive. He spent five years as Executive Director of Hutchison Essar (1999-2004) before becoming CEO of Hutchison CAT Wireless in Thailand in 2004. He was appointed CEO of Essar Comunication.

Since his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Essar Communications in 2008, Rajiv Sawhney has led the company's largest overseas expansion with the purchase of Warid Telecom's African assets in November. Essar announced the purchase of a major stake in Warid Uganda and Warid Congo, both valued at US$318 million, on 15 November, adding to the Indian telecom company's African holdings.

Sawhney earned a bachelor's degree in economics from the Government College for Men in Chandigarh in 1979 and a degree from the Indian Institute of Management in 1981 before beginning his career as a telecom executive.

He spent five years as Executive Director of Hutchison Essar (1999-2004) before becoming CEO of Hutchison CAT Wireless in Thailand in 2004. In 2007, Vodafone bought 67% of the Hutchison Essar joint venture, which is now called Vodafone Essar and is India's third-largest mobile phone company. From the mid-1990s, Hutchison carried out a slow expansion, gradually covering all of the license areas available in India in 2006.

Essar's African plans began at nearly the same time as Sawhney's accession to the CEO position in August 2008. Essar Communication bought 49% of Econet Wireless International in 2007, which in turn owns 70% of Econet Wireless Kenya, and announced a year later that it would spend $500 mn. to improve its network there. Essar, the conglomerate which owns Essar Communications, concluded its deal to buy 50% of Kenya Petroleum Refineries on 31 July after fighting off a rival bid from Libya (AAC Vol 1 No 10).