Govt slashes security testing fees by 95% to boost local telecom manufacturing
The telecom department has slashed security evaluation fees for telecom and ICT products by up to 95%, capping charges at Rs 50,000. This move aims to ease costs for domestic manufacturers and boost R&D. It benefits firms like Ericsson, Nokia, VVDN, and Dixon. Government R&D bodies are exempt from fees until March 2028 to spur innovation.
iStock The telecom department Monday sharply slashed security evaluation fees for telecom and ICT products in a bid to make the security certification process more affordable for domestic manufacturers.Security evaluation fees were reduced by as much as 95% which previously ranged from Rs 2-3.5 lakh depending on the equipment category. Under the revised structure, the maximum testing certification labs can charge is Rs 50,000, from an earlier Rs 3.5 lakh.
This will significantly reduce financial strain on telecom and ICT manufacturers. The move is expected to positively impact the operations of Ericsson, Nokia, Cisco, and telecom equipment manufacturers such as VVDN and Dixon Technologies, said analysts.
'This is a good step to spur innovation among local players. Earlier, each new product being developed locally had to be tested. With the fees rationalised, it becomes cheaper for us to innovate in R&D,' said Ashok Gupta, chairman, Optiemus Infracom, which makes telecom products including routers and set-top-boxes. Currently, products such as IP routers, Wi-Fi CPEs, and 5G Core SMF are under mandatory security testing, while Optical Line Terminals and Optical Networking Terminals are subject to voluntary certification.
Gupta added that the security testing fees are added as part of the costs billed by the contract manufacturer to its customers, which was then passed down to the end-customer. However, security testing fees are only paid once when developing the product, and does not typically have a significant impact on final pricing, he said.The government has also exempted security test evaluation fees for its R&D institutes such as CDOT and CDAC until March 31, 2028 as part of a wider effort to encourage innovation in public sector research.'This fee reduction is expected to bolster the competitiveness of Indian telecom manufacturers, stimulate local innovation, and provide a more straightforward pathway to market entry for both domestic and international Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs),' the ministry of communications said in a statement.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
17 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
The Trump Organization has partnered with leading Indian developers, earning nearly ₹175 cr from seven projects: Report
US President Donald Trump's family-run business, The Trump Organization, has treated India as its most significant market outside the US over the past decade. According to a report by The Indian Express, the company has earned at least ₹175 crore through partnerships with top Indian developers across seven projects in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Gurugram. The Trump Organisation has earned at least ₹ 175 crore through partnerships with top Indian developers across seven projects in Mumbai, Pune, Kolkata, and Gurugram.(Picture for representational purposes only)(Panchshil Realty website) Operating on a high-margin, zero-investment model, the firm neither buys land nor funds or constructs projects. Instead, it licenses the Trump brand for luxury real estate developments, collecting branding and development fees upfront, typically earning 3–5% of eventual sales. This asset-light approach has made India the organization's most profitable international market. 'The Trump Organization's earnings from these are yet to be disclosed, but experts said, its partnerships with the biggest builders, not only allows the Trump enterprise to tap into the most lucrative markets in the world's fastest growing economy, but also brings it continuous revenue stream with no financial risk,' the Indian Express report said. Between 2012 and 2019 alone, The Trump Organization earned $11.3 million in royalties and fees from four branded projects in Pune, Mumbai, Gurugram, and Kolkata, the Indian Express report said. By 2024, that figure had jumped. Trump's own financial disclosures show $12 million in new earnings from India, $10 million of which reportedly came from the Mumbai project. Another $2.2 million came from license and royalty fees paid by developers, the report said. 'Over the last eight months, Brand Trump has been on an aggressive expansion drive in India. Soon after his election as the 47th President of the United States of America on November 5, 2024, The Trump Organization, along with its Indian partner Tribeca Developers, announced at least six projects in Gurugram, Pune, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Noida and Bengaluru, adding up to 8 million sq feet of realty development," the IE report said. Also Read: Trump Organization enters India's office space segment: What does this mean for the Pune real estate market? From the first project announced in India in 2012, Brand Trump's footprint is set to see, by the time these projects are complete, a near four-fold expansion to 11 million square feet, a sharp jump from approximately 3 million sq ft developed until last year, the report noted. The Trump Organisation's footprint in India Of the total planned projects, three spanning approximately 4.3 million sq ft, or over half of Brand Trump's targeted footprint have already been launched this year in Pune, Gurugram, and Hyderabad. The Pune project, announced in March, marks the brand's first commercial development in the city. The properties are typically billed as luxury developments, with flats commanding a premium due to the President's name being attached to them, said the IE report. The Trump Organization, headquartered in NYC, is a family-controlled conglomerate and functions as the main holding company for Donald J. Trump's various business ventures through numerous subsidiaries spanning various industries, including real estate and hospitality. Founded and majority-held by Donald J. Trump, the organisation has his sons Donald J. Trump Jr. and Eric Trump as executive vice-presidents.
The Hindu
17 minutes ago
- The Hindu
From The Hindu, August 7, 1925: Spinning and weaving mills still remain closed
The Anglo-French Textile Mill Co. Ltd., which suspended operations on the 11th of July and the Pondicherry cotton mills which closed its doors on the 1st of July still continue to remain closed. As per notice put up at the gates of the Anglo-French Textile Mills the labourers were paid their fortnightly wages at the rate of Rs. 10 per month. Whether the authorities will continue to do the same after the 11th instant or not remains yet to be seen.
India.com
17 minutes ago
- India.com
Why Is Asim Munir Visiting U.S. Again? Inside Pakistan's Top General's Washington Diplomacy
New Delhi: Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir is heading to the United States once again this week. His visit comes barely two months after his last trip to Washington. He is expected to attend the U.S. Central Command's change-of-command ceremony. But the real story may not be the ceremony itself. It is the timing and the conversations already in motion. In June, Munir had lunch with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House. The meeting lasted two hours. No civilian leader from Pakistan was present. It was a first. Never before had a Pakistani military chief been hosted in the Oval Office on his own. According to insiders, their discussion touched on trade, economic ties and the future of cryptocurrency. In his signature style, Trump did not hold back praise. He said, 'The reason I had him here was I wanted to thank him for not going into the war and ending it…' The remark referred to the May conflict between India and Pakistan, four days of cross-border drone and missile exchanges that stopped just short of full-scale war. India later said it acted alone. But Trump claimed credit for helping stop it. Munir seemed to agree. In his own words, he said Trump deserved a Nobel Prize for 'averting nuclear war' between the two nations. The backdrop to that crisis was Operation Sindoor. India launched the operation in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians. According to Indian officials, nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were targeted and more than 100 militants were killed in the offensive. Trump's role in managing tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad has stirred debate. India has insisted that the eventual ceasefire came after direct talks between the two countries' Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMO). No foreign mediation, New Delhi said, was involved. Still, Trump has not stepped back from the narrative. In fact, he has doubled down. Alongside security talks, he also unveiled a trade agreement with Islamabad. The deal opens access for U.S. companies to Pakistan's oil reserves. But the fine print carries a twist. Trump signed an executive order imposing a 19% tariff on Pakistani exports, lower than the previous 29% rate, but still steep. The trade talks have been branded as a package of both relief and pressure. Munir's return to Washington now comes in that context. A second visit in two months signals something crucial: sustained military diplomacy, with political overtones. Whether the visit brings new deals, more pressure or another round of handshakes remains to be seen. But for now, Pakistan's most powerful man is going back to the United States, and the conversations are far from over.
