Grievances from telecom equipment makers in respect of import of telecom equipments from China have been received. However, Government has mandated registration of the companies incorporated/ having beneficial ownership in countries sharing land border with India to be eligible to bid in the procurement. Also, 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 equipments.

Department of Telecommunications issued amendment in Telecom Licenses on 10.03.2021, wherein, all Licensees have been directed to connect only Trusted Products in their Telecom Networks with effect from 15.06.2021. A portal (www.trustedtelecom.gov.in) has been launched which facilitates evaluation of telecommunication equipments as Trusted Products and intimation of the same to Licensees.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Communications, Shri Devusinh Chauhan in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.

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RKJ/M