The home ministry has cleared Telcordia Technologies’ proposal to implement mobile number portability services in India. The USbased company was given a licence by DoT for the service in 2008. However, Telcordia’s operations came under scrutiny after the home ministry objected to the company’s presence in Pakistan. The Foreign Investment Promotion Board had also raised questions regarding the company’s plans in India. While the home ministry has cleared Telcordia’s proposal, it has imposed certain conditions, including a restriction on the involvement of any staff member who has worked in Pakistan at any time in Telcordia’s Indian operations. Though managers working in India can be transferred to Pakistan, they cannot rejoin the Indian arm of Telcordia. In addition, the chief executive officer of the Indian division would have to be an Indian. By separating the human assets of the Indian and Pakistani arms of Telcordia, the ministry hopes to minimise risks such as spying and subversion.
