The union cabinet has extended the deadline for telecom companies to comply with the new foreign direct investment (FDI) norms, including appointment of resident Indian citizens in key positions, by another three months, from July 3 to October 2. The extension, the second in a row, will provide the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) with more time to consult with different stakeholders. Earlier, the IT and communications minister Dayanidhi Maran had rejected DoT’s proposal to introduce differential security-related treatment of telecom service providers based on the levels of foreign direct ownership in individual companies. The minister favours a uniform set of norms for all players. With respect to security concerns, the National Security Council Secretariat will have all the decision-making powers.
