D. K. Sachdev

D.K.Sachdev founded SpaceTel Consultancy in October 2000 with the objective to share the lessons of 44 years of professional experience with new and ongoing enterprises in the satellite and telecommunication fields. Mr. Sachdev is also co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Nirvano Technologies, McLean, Virginia, planning to set up wireless-based data networks for medical surveillance, homeland security and other applications. Mr. Sachdev also teaches graduate courses at George Mason University, Virginia in System Engineering & Project Management for Telecommunications. From 1996 through 2000, Mr. Sachdev was at WorldSpace, Washington DC, a pioneer in digital radio satellite systems. As Senior Vice President, Engineering & Operations, he had the responsibility for the engineering, deployment and operations of the complete worldwide infrastructure of the company consisting of three satellites, broadcast and business networks. While at WorldSpace, Mr. Sachdev also played a pioneering role in the creation of one of the two digital mobile radio satellite systems authorized by the FCC in the United States, now known as XM Radio. For almost two decades ending in 1996, Mr. Sachdev was at the center of the expansion of the INTELSAT’s global telecommunication network. Mr. Sachdev’s teams developed and procured 16 new satellites (INTELSAT VIIs and VIIIs), today forming the backbone of INTELSAT’s and New Skies networks. Matching this effort in the space segment, were several equally impressive efforts for INTELSAT’s international terrestrial network. Prior to crossing the oceans in 1978, Mr. Sachdev held several positions in the Indian Telecommunications Service and the associated industry. He created during the early 1970’s one of the largest design and development organizations in electronics and telecommunications at ITI, Bangalore. He led the development and production of a whole new range of commercial and government systems for telecommunications including satellite systems. Mr. Sachdev was educated at premier institutions in India. He obtained his B. Sc degree from University of Allahabad followed by a post-graduate degree from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. During his career, Mr. Sachdev has published a large number of professional papers. In 1976, received the Vikram Sarabhai Award for outstanding contributions in electronics and communications in India. In 2003, received the Arthur C Clarke Innovator’s Award for “his creative and engineering prowess in the field of satellite communications for many years and culminating in the engineering implementation of the world’s first operational direct broadcast radio system.”In March 2009, Mr. Sachdev was inducted in the SSPI Hall of Fame. This puts him among the list of industry pioneers, see at: http://www.sspi.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=23.