Most people do not think about radio spectrum. They cannot see it. They cannot touch it. Yet every phone call, television broadcast, satellite link, and emergency signal travels through it. It is one of India’s most valuable invisible national assets.
This is the story of a government officer who refused to wait for crores of rupees, refused to wait for imported machines, and refused to accept that “nothing can be done.”
This is the story of Ajay Singhal, an IRRS officer, the man many call India’s “Spectrum Man.”
A BOY WHO BUILT FROM BROKEN PARTS
Long before he entered government service, innovation was already a habit.
At just 13 years old, Ajay Singhal built a wireless set at home using discarded parts and simple tools. Broken toys became raw material. Old wires became new circuits. He did not just repair things — he rebuilt them.
Growing up in Madhya Pradesh, he was deeply influenced by his father, Shri P. N. Singhal, a Superintending Engineer in the state government. From him, he learned that public service is not about power. It is about responsibility.
That belief stayed with him when he joined the Indian Radio Regulatory Service (IRRS) in 1998.
He did not know then that one day he would protect India’s airwaves.
THE POSTING NOBODY WANTED
In 2012, he was posted as Head of the Satellite Monitoring Station at Jalna, Maharashtra.
The station had been set up in 1993 but had become almost non-functional. A costly foreign technology upgrade funded by the World Bank but could not be implemented. The system lay unused. India’s satellite spectrum — used for broadcasting, communication, and national services — was largely unmonitored.
The common belief was clear:
Reviving the station would require crores of rupees and advanced imported systems. Many waited for fresh approvals. Ajay Singhal chose a different path.
QUESTIONING THE “CRORES” MINDSET
For him, the real challenge was not technical — it was perceptual.
Why must revival always mean expensive imports?
Why assume innovation needs big budgets?
Drawing on his technical background and faith in indigenous capability, he began exploring a low-cost solution using locally available resources. There was scepticism. Some colleagues were unsure and doubted whether such an approach could work.
But he did not wait for perfect conditions.
He started experimenting.
ORBIT SPECTRUM: A DEAD STATION COMES ALIVE
What emerged was “Orbit Spectrum”, a low-cost satellite monitoring system. At its heart was a manually steerable dish antenna he affectionately called “Small Wonder.” Alongside it, he created “Sajag,” a database mapping satellite spectrum holders across the country.
The total cost?
Just ₹2.59 lakh.
By 2013–14, something remarkable happened.
The Jalna station came back to life.
It began detecting hundreds of spectrum violations. Operators were forced to correct their usage and comply with licence conditions. A facility once considered obsolete was now actively protecting a national resource.
The innovation earned national recognition, including a Prime Minister’s Award nomination and a place in the Limca Book of Records. More importantly, the system continues to function even in 2025.
Scepticism slowly turned into confidence.
Results spoke louder than doubt.
INNOVATION WITHIN THE SYSTEM
Innovation within government systems can be complex, as established processes and long-standing practices often encourage reliance on familiar approaches.
When Singhal later conceptualised portable scanners for cellular spectrum monitoring, he encountered initial hesitation.
Instead of relying solely on files and presentations, he chose to demonstrate the concept by building working prototypes.
He demonstrated measurable improvements:
- Better monitoring capability
- Lower costs
- Practical field usability
Transparency, teamwork, and clear results helped build trust. Gradually, the system accepted what proof had already shown.
Trust was earned through outcomes.
MISSION INVISIBLE INTRUSION
In 2018, while overseeing nationwide terrestrial spectrum monitoring, he introduced another innovation.
Considering that mobile services have been operating since 1995 and spectrum worth lakhs of crores is in use, Singhal introduced the deployment of portable spectrum scanning devices in all field units that transformed India’s capability to detect and analyse cellular signals, enabling identification of which operator occupied which frequency band. This innovation also helped detect foreign signal spillage in Indian border villages, which often becomes a source of interference and poses service-quality concerns.
Once again, he chose action over hesitation.
Using customised, portable network-scanning devices built locally at a fraction of imported costs, he introduced tools that could:
- Identify operator-wise spectrum usage
- Detect foreign signal intrusions near borders
- Analyse coverage gaps and signal strength
- Provide reliable independent data
These devices played a crucial role in the Joint Telecom Signal Survey (2022) under Mission Invisible Intrusion, strengthening telecom connectivity in border villages.
SAFEGUARDING CITIZENS’ NETWORKS
His work was not limited to large systems.
Unauthorised mobile signal boosters were causing widespread interference and poor network quality for citizens. Instead of relying only on enforcement raids, he designed a collaborative nationwide model involving public awareness, industry cooperation, and coordinated action with state authorities.
Thousands of illegal boosters were voluntarily surrendered across major cities, including Delhi. The approach was later adopted as a standard operating procedure by the Department of Telecommunications.
It showed that enforcement works best when combined with cooperation.
DEDICATION OVER DESIGNATION
Ajay Singhal often says that impact in public service does not depend on belonging to a particular cadre.
It depends on intent.
From reviving a dead satellite station with limited funds to building India’s first low-cost mobile spectrum monitoring tools, his journey shows what governance can achieve when innovation meets integrity.
He still believes what he learned as a child:
Limited tools do not mean limited outcomes.
They demand unlimited determination.
His message to young officers is simple:
Solve problems with creativity and persistence. Infrastructure may follow. Support systems may come later. But intent must come first.
Because sometimes, meaningful change begins with one simple question:
“What can we build with what we have?”What can we build with what we have?”
