Origin of China-made telecom equipment being verified
The telecom manufacturing industry is being incentivised for increasing production while imports from China are being verify on origin of manufacturing, Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan has informed the Rajya Sabha on 23 Dec 2022.
Noting grievances from telecom equipment makers in respect of import of telecom equipment from China, the Government has mandated registration of the companies incorporated and or having beneficial ownership in countries sharing land border with India to be eligible to bid in the procurement, he said in a written reply to the house.
Chauhan elaborated on the support being given to local telecom manufacturers, adding that the Government has taken steps for streamlining and categorising the HS Codes so as to avoid mislabelling of imported items.
Moreover, domestic telecom manufacturing industry is being incentivised via schemes like Production linked Incentive (PLI) and Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) (PPP-MII).
PLI scheme aims to incentivise manufacturing of telecom and networking products within the country whereas PPP-MII Policy provides preference to domestic manufacturers in public procurement.
An expert committee has been constituted by Department of Telecommunications to recommend measures to promote export of domestically manufactured equipment.
He pointed out that the Department of Telecommunications amended Telecom Licenses on 10 Mar 2021, wherein, all Licensees have been directed to connect only Trusted Products in their Telecom Networks with effect from 15 July 2021.
A portal (www.trustedtelecom.gov.in) has been launched which facilitates evaluation of telecommunication equipment as Trusted Products and intimation of the same to Licensees, said the Minister. fiinews.com
