Equipments of Indian manufactures will be costlier - admits TEPC.

The Modi government is forcing BSNL to procure it’s 4G equipments only from Indian manufacturers. BSNLEU and the AUAB have been continuously maintaining that, the telecom equipments of Indian vendors will be costlier, which will increase the financial burden of BSNL in rolling out it's 4G network. This accusation of BSNLEU and AUAB has now been proved to be correct. The TEPC (Telecom Export Promotion Council) itself has now admitted that it’s equipments would be costlier compared to the equipments of multinational companies.

In a letter written to the Secretary, Telecom, Shri Sandeep Agarwal, Co-chairman of the TEPC has admitted that, Indian companies cannot match the pricing of multinational telecom vendors. The relevant portion of his letter is reproduced hereinunder.  

"We do understand that we, the Indian manufacturers having been always sidelined from the bulk of the 4G telecom business of Core and RAN, may not be able to match the pricing of the hugely competitive, subsidized, politically and militarily motivated technologies developed by the Chinese, Americans etc. 

[Source: Outlookindia.com dated 03^rd January, 2021]

It is needless to say that the pressure being exerted by the Modi government on BSNL, to procure 4G equipments only from Indian manufactures is nothing but a part of the conspiracy to weaken BSNL.