With the change in guard, BK Modi has stepped down from the board of directors of Modi Telstra to give a free hand to his son in the group's cellular forays. Modi junior's elevation to the top post is expected to give a new face to the venture.

The 27-year old chairman said he was aware of the responsibility and commitment of the position, but added that cellular telephony would lead to a new personal communication system using knowledge and connectivity.

Dilip Modi started his career in Graphtech India after graduating inmanagement from the Imperial College, London and later spent time in Telstra, Australia and Rank Xerox. "We now need the drive of a young mind, new ideas and dynamism to grow this potential, leading the company into the new millennium. Dilip has been deeply involved with the development of our telecommunications business and we are confident that he will bring real value and rapid growth in this sector," according to chairman of nomination committee of ModiCorp board KL Chugh.