General Manager – Legal & Regulatory

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced General Manager – Legal & Regulatory to manage legal, regulatory, compliance, litigation, contractual and government authority-related matters for the Broadband Division. The ideal candidate should have strong experience in telecom regulatory compliance, DoT/TRAI regulations, legal agreements, litigation management, AGR/License Fee, and government portal submissions.

Key Responsibilities

1. Agreements & Contracts

• Review, vet and draft agreements, MOUs, LOIs, term sheets, license agreements and IPR-related documents.
• Prepare documentation for commercial arrangements with telecom service providers.
• Draft and maintain standard agreements for the broadband business.
• Provide legal support to business teams based on commercial negotiations.
• Coordinate online execution of agreements and monitor execution status.
• Maintain agreement trackers and MIS for physical and online agreements.

2. Litigation & Legal Matters

• Review inputs from internal teams and advise on appropriate legal recourse.
• Coordinate with advocates/counsels for legal notices and initiation of proceedings.
• Support the Company in defending litigation and responding to legal notices.
• Monitor ongoing litigation and ensure timely action.
• Prepare/review notices, petitions, replies, counter-replies and evidence.
• Represent/coordinate with the Company before Courts, Tribunals, Mediators and Arbitrators, as required.
• Maintain Legal MIS and notice trackers.
• Handle trademark registration applications, objections and related responses.

3. DoT & Telecom Regulatory Compliance

• Manage regulatory activities and submissions relating to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• Work with portals/processes such as SARAL, OCBMS, MBSS Audit, ISRP, Security Audit and Technical Audit.
• Coordinate with DoT officials and provide required information and clarifications.
• Advise internal teams on telecom licenses, guidelines, instructions and directions issued by DoT and other government authorities.
• Submit applications for licenses/authorizations and track their progress.
• Coordinate IPDR-related requirements and website blocking in accordance with applicable DoT/Court/Government orders.
• Coordinate with Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) for KYC details, certificates and related statements.

4. DoT & TRAI Reporting

• Coordinate and submit monthly subscriber and data usage reports to DoT/TRAI.
• Prepare and submit quarterly PMR and other prescribed regulatory returns.
• Coordinate half-yearly returns relating to trusted telecom sources.
• Work with internal teams to collate data, prepare reports and upload submissions on relevant portals.

5. License Fee, AGR & Bank Guarantees

• Coordinate with Finance for AGR/License Fee calculations, payments and regulatory returns.
• Process payments through the SARAS portal and submit quarterly/annual returns.
• Coordinate auditor-certified annual returns and regulatory submissions.
• Prepare representations/replies against demand notices and coordinate matters before TDSAT, where required.
• Ensure timely submission of bank guarantees to the CCA office.
• Maintain and monitor the Bank Guarantee tracker.

6. MIB Compliance

• Submit applications for renewal/change of channels through the Broadcast Seva Portal.
• Coordinate payment of annual renewal fees and related regulatory requirements.

7. General Legal & Regulatory Responsibilities

• Prepare updates on AGR, License Fee and DoT communications for Board meetings.
• Review and process advocate/counsel and legal vendor invoices.
• Maintain legal payment trackers.
• Provide legal and regulatory advice to Business and other internal teams.
• Ensure timely closure and tracking of legal and regulatory matters.

Candidate Profile

• 6+ years of relevant experience in Legal, Regulatory Affairs, Telecom Legal or Compliance.
• Strong understanding of DoT/TRAI regulations and telecom licensing requirements.
• Experience in handling contracts, litigation and regulatory submissions.
• Exposure to AGR, License Fee, TDSAT, CCA and telecom regulatory compliance will be preferred.
• Strong drafting, negotiation, analytical and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to independently coordinate with government authorities, external counsel and internal business teams.
• LLB/LLM or equivalent legal qualification preferred.
• Candidates with relevant experience in the Telecom/Broadband/ISP industry will be strongly preferred.