Page 14 - CIOs Edition June 2021

TELECOM
Saloni Unlocks the Secret to Success by Believing in Herself
Saloni Vijay is a name to reckon
with today in a profession that has
always been dominated by male.
Having done her masters in
computer applications, she
entered the telecom industry and
took up diverse roles, from
managing the portfolio of Value
Added Services for Vodafone India
to heading the IT Operations and
Service Delivery for East & West
India for Vodafone Idea along with
transformation of Brand Change
from Hutch to Vodafone and then
the merger and acquisition of
Vodafone and Idea. Though her
going has not been that easy but
because of her contributions
made, Saloni is today identified
among the top 11 amazing women
in Vodafone Idea.
Achievements & Contribution
in the Telecom sector
I have played diverse roles in core
telecom technology, Value Added
Services, Packet Core Network, IT
Infrastructure, Service Delivery,
Application Design, Development
& Operations, Project Management
& A u t o m a t i o n . M y b i g g e s t
achievement was managing the
portfolio of Value Added Services
forVodafone India by creating the -
June 2021
entire infrastructure and inhouse don't have in depth knowledge was
d e v e l o p m e n t o f v a r i o u s the most challenging part. Key
applications to supportmessaging learning was -
& charging of content/services.
Key Challenges faced Belief in self –If I didn't have belief
on my potential, I would not have
My major key challenge was been able to complete that
balancing work and personal life.
To give your best and 100% at both project as there were many
the places was the biggest roadblocks.
challenge, especially during the Hunger of learning kept me alive
early motherhood phase. Also, to understand the technology
getting an equal seat at the table better and gradually have
was another setback. Technology hands-on experience.
is male dominated function and
there is a less representation of 2021's Top 3 technologies
women. As a woman we have to go Cyber Security, Cloud computing
an extra mile to prove our and AI & ML
competency.
IT deployment close to heart
Deployment of a packet core
platform from scratch to carry
internet traffic generated from
mobile to the internet gateway for
the entire western region of
Vodafone India is a project worth
mentioning.
Key learning from the Project
Packet core network works on core
telecom technology and I was from
a s o f t w a r e d e v e l o p m e n t
background. Defining a strategy
and execution of a crucial project
for the organization where you -
Saloni Vijay
GM & Central Cluster IT head
- Vodafone Idea Limited