As per current rules, only vendors marked as ‘trusted sources’ can supply telecom equipment. Ongoing US-China trade tensions have added pressure on Indian telecom operators.
In a significant move to tighten telecom security in India, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked all major telecom service providers—including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and BSNL—to provide detailed information on any Chinese telecom equipment still in use across their networks.
This directive comes amid growing concerns about national security and geopolitical tensions. While Chinese telecom giants like Huawei and ZTE are already barred from participating in India’s 5G infrastructure rollout, their equipment remains widely deployed in older 2G, 3G, and 4G networks. The DoT’s latest step aims to evaluate the extent of Chinese vendors in telecom infrastructure and reduce potential vulnerabilities.
Under current regulations, Indian telcos are required to procure equipment only from trusted sources, a list maintained by the National Cyber Security Coordinator. However, legacy networks still rely heavily on older hardware, much of which originates from Chinese gear.
With escalating US-China trade tensions and increasing scrutiny on digital infrastructure, this move adds further pressure on Indian telecom companies to phase out non-compliant or untrusted components. The government is expected to use the collected data to devise a more secure roadmap for network upgrades and ensure compliance with national cybersecurity standards.
Industry experts believe that while replacing Chinese equipment could increase operational costs for telcos, it is a necessary step toward ensuring the integrity and resilience of India's telecom ecosystem.
