Panel formed for measures to promote export of telecom equipment

NEW DELHI: An expert committee has been constituted by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to recommend measures to promote the export of domestically-manufactured equipment, the Ministry of Communications said on Friday.

The department of telecommunications issued an amendment in Telecom Licenses on March 3, 2021, wherein, all licensees have been directed to connect only trusted products in their telecom networks with effect from June 6, 2021.

A portal, trustedtelecom.gov.in, has been launched which facilitates evaluation of telecommunication equipment as trusted products and intimation of the same to licensees, Minister of State for Communications Devusinh Chauhan told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

The ministry said the domestic telecom manufacturing industry is being incentivised via schemes like production-linked incentive (PLI) and Public Procurement Preference (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.

The ministry said grievances from telecom equipment makers in respect of the import of telecom equipment from China have been received.

The 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, the government has taken steps for streamlining and categorising the HS Codes so as to avoid mislabelling of imported items.

HS code is a common standard worldwide for classifying traded goods, which is used by 98 per cent of import and export trades worldwide in assessing duties.