The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for a timeline for implementation of a policy aimed at promoting domestic manufacture of telecom equipment.

Currently, most of the equipment used in Indian telecom networks is imported. MHA is concerned that imported telecom equipment may contain malware or bugs that will leak sensitive communications data to third parties.

To ensure the long-term security of India‘s telecom network, MHA is looking at increasing local production of critical components in the country.

Prior to this, DoT had indicated that the forthcoming National Telecom Policy 2011 will give preferential treatment to local manufacturers. In this regard, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has already provided its recommendations on a proposed Telecom Equipment Manufacturing Policy to DoT.

TRAI has suggested giving preferential treatment to made-in-India products, besides incentives to operators to source domestically manufactured equipment. This is aimed at ensuring 80 per cent of India‘s telecom services network is based on indigenously manufactured equipment by 2020, up from just 3 per cent in the year 2009-10.

While DoT is still examining TRAI’s recommendations, MHA’s views on providing incentives to promote indigenous production have found concurrence within DoT.