The government is planning to simplify the process of certification and boost the export of telecom and IT equipment. They aim to include terms for equipment testing and certification in international deals. The Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC) is working on formulating national standards for equipment testing and certification, taking into account the requirements of sectors such as telecom, power, smart cities, railways, defense, and more. The objective is to establish easy certification procedures and eliminate unnecessary testing, which would allow the government to negotiate with the European Union, the United States, and other countries to recognize Indian certification for such equipment.
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Currently, Indian companies exporting equipment need certification from the destination country to participate in tenders, while companies importing telecom and IT equipment to India require multiple certifications for different products. This process is time-consuming and costly. The government intends to promote ease of doing business, facilitate exports for beneficiaries of the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, and establish a global standard that simplifies the process without compromising on quality or security parameters. The Ministry of External Affairs will also be involved in these efforts.
The government plans to reduce the number of tests required for equipment certification. After negotiating with other countries and establishing a national standard, additional tests demanded by those countries may be included to ensure India’s certification is accepted globally. This initiative is crucial as the government envisions India becoming a major exporter of telecom equipment within the next few years.
Currently, companies in India incur substantial costs for certification, which is conducted by TEC-certified labs. Rakesh Bhatnagar, the director general of the VoICE consortium, suggests that the government should subsidize certification costs for companies and startups with a turnover of less than Rs 100 crores. Additionally, industry executives suggest that TEC should increase its capacity for issuing more certificates by adopting random testing procedures.
TEC has certified over 180 equipment and issued over 200 certifications in the past three years. In anticipation of the mandatory testing and certification guidelines for telecom equipment, which will be implemented from July 1, TEC has designated over 62 labs.