
Govt slashes security testing fees by 95% to boost local telecom manufacturing
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
Tired of too many ads?
Remove Ads
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


India.com
15 minutes ago
- India.com
Why Noted American Economist Said U.S. Wants A ‘Weaker' India; How His Prediction On Trump And Trade Deal Is Now Coming True
Washington/New Delhi: Sharing his views on India-U.S. trade relations, American economist Jeffrey Sachs expressed strong doubts about the possibility of a successful deal between the two countries. He said he would be very surprised if India managed to secure any trade deal with the United States because the U.S. government had no real interest in India's progress and aimed to keep the country weak. 'If India manages to strike a deal with the United States, I would be extremely surprised. This government (President Donald Trump's) does not care about India's well-being,' he told journalist Shweta Punj at the 'Rising Bharat Summit' hosted by Moneycontrol in April this year. Four months later, in August, the United States imposed a 25 percent tariff on Indian goods. The relationship between Washington and New Delhi has slid into a phase few predicted, but Sachs saw it coming. Once dismissed by some as exaggerated, his warning now feels eerily close to today's headlines. Trump's administration has made no secret of its stance, sanctions, public remarks criticising India's oil trade with Russia and repeated pressure over the India-Pakistan standoff. These moves, according to experts, chip away at India's autonomy and challenge the framework of sovereign diplomacy. India was among the few countries to engage early with Trump's White House for a trade agreement. The talks dragged on and nothing concrete emerged. The gap widened. Sachs tried to explain why, not with jargon but blunt words. 'America wants to use India against China. But make no mistake, this government has no interest in a stronger India,' he said. He asked people to trust what he had seen up close. 'Donald Trump is not going to open American doors to Indian manufacturers. This is a game and a strategic design to replace China, yes. But not with India,' he said. He called India a successful economy, not once but thrice. 'Very, very, very successful,' he said. He spoke of a future where India grows even stronger. In that future, Sachs said, America will not like what it sees, just as it does not like China now. Even if India opens its agriculture sector to U.S. companies, he said, the result would be the same. 'Trump will never let Indian goods flood the U.S. market. His whole idea is to block low-cost manufacturers. He is not going to let India replace China,' he said. Sachs did not stop at trade. He pointed to the larger structure, which is the global supply chain. 'They want India to help crush China. But they do not want India inside the system either. Not now. Not ever,' he added. He urged India to keep its options open. 'Never close the door to China or Russia because America's game is to prevent the rise of a strong India,' he said. Now, in August, his words feel less like a theory and more like a lived truth.
&w=3840&q=100)

Business Standard
15 minutes ago
- Business Standard
25% Donald Trump tariff likely to weigh on pharma margins: Analysts
The impact on innovator contract research, development and manufacturing organisations (CRDMOs) would be relatively lower Sohini Das Mumbai Listen to This Article If pharmaceutical exports from India to the US come under a 25 per cent tariff bracket, the impact on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) could be around 5 per cent, felt analysts. This is after assuming that about 75 per cent of the tariff would be passed on. Kotak Institutional Equities said that assuming a 25 per cent tariff on Indian pharma firms and baking in a nil pass-through, there could be a 0-27 per cent earnings per share (EPS) impact on generic drug exporters.


Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
Tea Association of India requests DGFT for review of duty-free tea imports
Guwahati: Tea Association of India (TAI) requested the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) for Review and Regulation of Duty-Free Tea Imports under Advance Authorization Scheme . Indian Tea Industry has been witnessing a steady growth in the quantum of tea imported to India. While in 2019 15.85 million kgs of tea where imported and in 2023 the imported tea stood at 23.65million kgs. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program TAI stated that the actual export of Tea of Kenya to India in 2024 (as published by Tea Board Kenya) is huge which is 17.13 MKgs vis-à-vis 5.26 MKgs of tea in 2023 which is 226% ahead of last year and in 2025 Kenya exports tea to India till March is 3.9 MKgs which is 117% higher than 2024 for the same corresponding year. TAI added that to establish an equilibrium with regard to Supply and Demand situation, Tea Board issued the direction to curtail production, November 30, 2024. The industry also passed through adverse inclement weather conditions till the month of August, leading to a drop in production by about 110 mkgs. in the year 2024. Despite the resulting drop in production as stated above, it was noted that post September 2024 a surge in import led to poor market sentiments leading to a drop in prices by an average of Rs.60, thus adversely affecting the tea market sentiments , neutralizing the entire effort made by the Tea Board and industry to bring an equilibrium between demand and supply for the stability of the prices in tea market.