Scindia Meets Telecom Providers, Cybersecurity Resolved

New Delhi, Sep 25 (PTI) Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday chaired a meeting with leading telecom service providers and OEMs, noting that concerns related to cybersecurity, spam control, standards, and technology interoperability have been resolved.

The meeting, held ahead of the India Mobile Congress -- the sector's annual grand showcase -- was attended by senior representatives of major telecom companies, including Reliance Jio Infocomm Chairman Akash Ambani.

"Chaired a productive meeting of telecom service providers (TSPs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) stakeholder advisory groups. Focused discussions on the upcoming India Mobile Congress 2025 and the progress of Telecom Manufacturing Zone (TMZ) in Madhya Pradesh. Also discussed advancing indigenous solutions in line with PM @narendramodi ji's thrust on Swadeshi and Mission Aatmanirbhar Bharat, and accelerating skill development to further power India's telecom growth," Scindia said in a post on X.

During the discussions, the Union Minister highlighted that most previously raised concerns of TSPs had been addressed, especially those linked to cybersecurity, spam mitigation, standards and technology interoperability.

However, three key issues -- bridging the digital divide, spectrum allocation, and the commercial viability of fixed-line services -- are still under review, with stakeholders required to submit feedback on draft rules by October 6, 2025.

Additionally, aspects related to telemarketer regulations, licence fees, and electricity requirements are being examined as part of the forthcoming telecom policy framework, according to an official statement.

On the OEM side, Scindia noted that matters related to indigenous manufacturing, testing and certification timelines, and ease of doing business have been resolved.

Four issues remain pending -- achieving cost structure parity with global competitors, building a partial-to-full domestic manufacturing ecosystem to reduce imports, encouraging design-led manufacturing, and addressing the challenges of single-source component procurement. Policy inputs and responses on these are also expected by October 6.

The minister directed both TSPs and OEMs to work in close coordination with the Department of Telecommunications to provide actionable feedback within stipulated timelines.