Agreed, he is a consumer arketing guru! But why is he featured here in the list of techno-men—inventors, technopreneurs, and techno-managers?

The answer is simple: because of his contribution to the world of telecom.

This commerce graduate from University of Madras, belonging to the batch of 1960, is a familiar name in the US telecom industry. Some of his thoughts about the dynamics of telecom markets are really nonconformist. Yet, the whole industry listens when he makes a point. One such much debated prophecy of Dr Sheth is the ultimate separation of integrated services business from the network operation business. "If any operator wants to provide all services, it will be too costly for it to do build the network(s) and yet be profitable," he said. He is one of the few thinkers who believes strongly in the viability of the MVNO model. His theories have also influenced many top practising managers in global telecom. One noteworthy idea from
Dr Sheth is what can be termed as the victory of information over computing. According to him, publishing, entertainment, and software will be consolidated into the information content business. Consumer electronics, mobile phones, PCs,
etc will be consolidated into information appliances business. The networks will be consolidated to information highway business, and computing will be diffused with memory and storage.

Dr Sheth has advised such organizations as the Ma Bell during its split to long-distance carrier AT&T and local carriers, the
regional bell operating companies. He has done work for US regulator FCC as well. While the world knows him for the concepts such as Relationship Marketing and the recently hot Rule of Three, Dr Sheth has co-authored the Telecom Outlook Report for IEC for years, and has spoken on the evolution and future of mobile industry in many global forums. n