DoT has rejected the home ministry’s proposal to implement the security accreditation scheme (SAS). SAS, which is managed by the GSM Association (GSMA), is a voluntary scheme under which telecom equipment suppliers allow for a comprehensive security audit of their production sites and processes. The ministry had suggested that mobile operators should buy SIM cards only from companies that have been screened, in order to secure the telecom networks in the country. However, according to DoT,only 20 SIM card plants are accredited by the GSMA globally, of which only one is in India. Therefore, mandatory SAS certification might lead to a monopolistic situation or restrictive competition in the market.
