Key Points
- Randeep Raina brings 27 years of experience from Google India and Nokia Networks
- Krishna Patil moves to Executive Advisor role after leading Vi partnership
- Vi recently selected Ericsson’s cloud-native Charging solution for postpaid services
Ericsson has appointed Randeep Raina as Head of Customer Unit Vodafone Idea, bringing a former Google India and Nokia Networks executive to lead the Swedish telecom equipment maker’s engagement with India’s third-largest mobile carrier.
Raina, who brings more than 27 years of experience across technology, sales, strategy and business development, will be based in Mumbai. He will report to Andres Vicente, chief executive officer of Market Area Southeast Asia, Oceania and India at Ericsson, and will join the regional leadership team.
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The appointment comes as Vi pursues an aggressive network modernisation programme following its recent fundraising. Raina succeeds Krishna Patil, who has been appointed Executive Advisor to Vicente after establishing what Ericsson described as a strong partnership with Vi.
Before joining Ericsson, Raina served as Head of Telco and Strategic Partnerships at Google India, where he was responsible for the technology company’s relationships with Indian telecom operators. He previously held the role of Chief Technology and Strategy Officer at Nokia Networks India, giving him direct experience of the Indian telecom equipment market from a competitor’s perspective.
Vi partnership
In his new role, Raina will lead Ericsson’s work with Vi on network evolution and next-generation connectivity solutions. Vi, the joint venture between Vodafone Group and Aditya Birla Group, has been expanding its 4G and 5G network footprint as it seeks to close the gap with larger rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
“It’s a pleasure to welcome Randeep on board as we collaborate with Vi to build a future ready network and accelerate its digital transformation journey,” said Vicente. “With his extensive leadership experience, strategic vision and customer-first mindset, I am confident Randeep will play a pivotal role in further deepening our partnership with Vi and support its network evolution ambitions.”
Vicente acknowledged Patil’s contribution to building the Vi relationship. “I would also like to recognise and thank Krishna Patil for his invaluable executive leadership over many years at Ericsson and for establishing a strong and trusted partnership with Vi,” he said.
Ericsson and Vi have maintained a long-standing strategic partnership focused on India’s digital connectivity. The carrier recently expanded its collaboration with Ericsson by selecting the company’s cloud-native Charging solution, a billing and revenue management system that runs on distributed computing infrastructure rather than traditional hardware, to modernise its postpaid services.
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Network expansion
The partnership extends to strengthening Vi’s 4G and 5G network through augmentation, capacity expansion and operations powered by artificial intelligence. These AI-driven operations use machine learning to predict network faults, optimise traffic routing and reduce downtime without manual intervention.
India’s telecom sector has seen intensifying competition following the nationwide 5G rollout that began in late 2022. Equipment vendors including Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung have been competing for contracts as operators invest in network upgrades. Vi, which lagged behind Jio and Airtel in its 5G deployment, has signalled plans to accelerate its rollout following a recent equity infusion.
Ericsson’s appointment of an executive with both vendor and customer-side experience reflects the complexity of navigating India’s telecom market, where pricing pressure, regulatory requirements and rapid technology shifts demand close coordination between carriers and their equipment partners.
Your Questions, Answered
Who is Randeep Raina at Ericsson?
Randeep Raina is the newly appointed Head of Customer Unit Vodafone Idea at Ericsson. He brings 27 years of experience and previously served as Head of Telco and Strategic Partnerships at Google India and Chief Technology and Strategy Officer at Nokia Networks India.
What happened to Krishna Patil at Ericsson?
Krishna Patil, who previously led the Vi account, has been appointed Executive Advisor to Andres Vicente, CEO of Market Area Southeast Asia, Oceania and India at Ericsson.
What is Ericsson’s partnership with Vodafone Idea?
Ericsson and Vi have a strategic partnership covering 4G and 5G network expansion, capacity augmentation, AI-powered operations and cloud-native billing solutions for postpaid services.
What is a cloud-native Charging solution?
A cloud-native Charging solution is a billing and revenue management system that runs on distributed computing infrastructure rather than traditional hardware, enabling more flexible and scalable postpaid service management.