Reliance Communications (RCOM), India’s fourth-largest mobile operator, appointed Vinod Sawhney as its overall CEO.

Sawhney is to oversee a number of divisional CEOs, including Punit Garg who heads the Indian Enterprise and IDC business, and Bill Barney, CEO of Reliance Globalcom.

Gurdeep Singh, who previously headed the Wireless division, has been given more responsibility as CEO of Consumer Business, which encompasses Wireless, DTH (satellite television) and Consumer Broadband. Together these divisions account for 70 per cent of RCOM’s revenue and operating profit.

A 30-year business veteran, Sawhney previously worked for Bharti Airtel. He held various roles during his 10 years at the Indian market leader, including joint president of Airtel Enterprises, executive director and CEO of Airtel Mobility and president and CEO of Bharti Retail.

RCOM, which is controlled by billionaire Anil Ambani, announced last week that it made modest gains in net profits and sales for its fiscal third quarter as operations abroad weighed on results.

The business was boosted by a fast-growing base of data users, while less competition in India allowed it to raise tariffs and boost ARPU.

However, global operations – which accounts for around a fifth of group revenue – suffered an 8.3 per cent fall in Q3 revenues, year-on-year, to INR11 billion.

The group is reportedly undergoing a restructuring that will see its GSM and CDMA units split. There has been speculation that the latter could be sold in order to cut the operator’s debt.