Mr. Shailendra Kumar Gupta was born on September 9, 1942. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Lucknow University and a degree in electrical engineering from Roorkee University, graduating with a gold medal in 1964. He was immediately absorbed as a lecturer in electrical engineering at Roorkee University.

Mr. Gupta joined the Indian Telecom Service in September 1965 and held various responsible positions in the Department of Telecommunications and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited in the fields of planning, installation, maintenance, training and management of telecommunication systems.

Mr. Gupta took charge of VSNL (now TATA Communications) as its chairman and managing director in September 1999. In August 2000, he helped make VSNL, the first Indian public sector enterprise to find listing on any US stock exchange, when its American depository receipts began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. In pursuance to the Government policy and consequent to disinvestment of VSNL in February 2002, VSNL was acquired by TATAs. M/s.TATAs also appointed him as the Managing Director of VSNL.

Subsequently, he has been retained by TATAs for a further period of 5 years with effect from 1 st October, 2002. He was Managing Director, VSNL upto 30 th September, 2004 and joined as Advisor-Telecom, TATA Group with effect from 1 st October, 2004.

Besides being the Chairman of TATA Communications Lanka Ltd., Mr. Gupta is also on the board of Tata Teleservcies and United Telecom Ltd., a joint venture of TATA Communications, MTNL, TCIL and a Nepalese Partner. Mr. Gupta also represents TATA Communications on the Managing Committee of SEA-ME-WE-4 and SEA-ME-WE-3.

Mr. Gupta has had extensive international exposure in various capacities. During his career, he was deputed through the United Nations to Malawi, Africa as a switching telecom expert during 1982-83. He was also trained at Japan in C-400 cross bar systems and at the University of Essex, U.K., in computer software engineering. He has been closely associated with various international bodies like INTELSAT, the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organization, Asia Pacific Telecommunications, SAARC Telecom Projects etc.

Mr. Gupta has traveled extensively around the world to represent VSNL (now TATA Communications) and raise its profile in various global forums, including in the USA, UK, Switzerland, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Ecuador, Ireland, Senegal and Bermuda (about 35 countries).

Mr. Gupta received a national award for excellent communication arrangements during the Maha Kumbh at Allahabad in 1989. He also received the best chief executive (PSU) of the year 2001 award from the National Foundation of Indian Engineers in August 2001. Mr. Gupta was honoured with the Udyog Rattan Award by the Institute of Economic Studies in January 2002 and the Rashtriya Rattan Award for outstanding individual achievements and distinguished services to the nation in January '2002. Mr.Gupta also received The Trans World Gold Star Award from the Institute of Economic Studies in June '2002.