While the guessing game continues in the industry about the next man at the helm of VSNL, ex-managing director S.K. Gupta has been inducted as a telecom advisor to the Tata-owned firm, which is listed on the NYSE.Gupta, whose tenure with VSNL ended on September 30, had said earlier that he will continue to be part of the group, but was waiting for the return of group chairman Ratan N. Tata from the US before taking a final decision.However, Gupta will continue as the chairman of VSNL Sri Lanka Ltd. and United Telecom Ltd. But, till the time the new managing director is appointed, all functions reporting to Gupta will report to N. Srinath, director (operations). “Gupta will continue to support the group’s telecom activities as an advisor with Tata Services Ltd,” VSNL chairman Ratan Tata said in an internal communication.“He would continue to support VSNL in certain specified areas, such as discussions on submarine cables “Sea-Me-Me-3’ and ‘Sea-Me-We-4’, and continue to be actively associated with the company's domestic and international carrier relations,” Tata said.Gupta’s contract with Tata Group was for a period of five years and he completed only two years on September 30, 2004. He was due to retire after attaining 62 years of age, while the Tata group was expected to take a decision on his extension or finding a successor soon.However, during VSNL’s AGM, Ratan Tata had said, “He (Gupta) would continue to remain with the company in some form or other,” but he had also indicated that it would not be possible to change the company’s retirement age of 62 for one person.Gupta had taken charge as VSNL CMD in September 1999, and in August 2000, was instrumental in making the company the first Indian public sector enterprise to be listed on the NYSE. After the Tata Group’s acquisition in February 2002, he became its MD.
