The DoT is seeking details about Chinese-made gear still active in local telecoms networks
In sum – what you need to know:
DoT targets Chinese gear – India’s Department of Telecoms has instructed operators to disclose their Chinese-made equipment, amid concerns over national security risks.
Huawei and ZTE bans – the Chinese duo have been excluded from new deals in India since 2021, but their equipment is still used by Airtel, Vodafone Idea, and BSNL.
Rapid expansion – 5G coverage is growing rapidly in India, with 469,000 base stations and over 250 million active subscribers, as operator trio lead the rollout across major cities.
India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has reportedly instrucuted domestic telecom operators to submit details about Chinese-made equipment still active in their telecommunications networks, according to a report from ETTelecom.
The report noted that the move is part of the government’s broader effort to monitor Chinese involvement in India’s telecom sector and mitigate potential national security risks arising from network vulnerabilities.
Chinese vendors Huawei and ZTE have been largely excluded from new telecom contracts in India since 2021, following rising border tensions between the two nations. That year, India’s National Security Council Secretariat ordered that only vendors certified as “trusted sources” would be eligible for new telecom deployments in the country. Vendors like Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung have been approved, while Huawei and ZTE have not received certification, the reports added.
Despite the ongoing restrictions, local carriers still have gear from Huawei and ZTE in their networks, particularly in Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea’s 4G infrastructure and BSNL’s 2G network. The carriers are still allowed to service existing equipment, including replacement and upgrades.
This latest request from the DoT comes amid escalating U.S.-China trade tensions. Last week, President Donald Trump increased tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, with a temporary 30-day exemption for some electronics. In response, China imposed its own retaliatory tariffs, now reaching 124%.
India’s Commerce and Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal, recently criticized China’s trade practices, including alleged product dumping. Meanwhile, India has also been affected by the U.S. tariff hikes. Earlier this month, Trump raised tariffs on Indian imports to 26%, though a temporary 90-day pause was granted to certain countries, including India.
India had 469,000 5G base stations at the end of February, according to the latest available figures from the country’s Ministry of Communications. The ministry said the number of active 5G subscribers in the country surpassed 250 million in the period – in less than two and a half years since 5G was commercially launched.
It said 5G coverage now extends to all states and 99.6% of districts nationwide.
Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have started their 5G rollouts in October 2022. Currently, both Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm offer 5G networks in all major cities across the country. While Jio is offering standalone 5G (5G SA) technology, Airtel has so far opted for non-standalone 5G (5G NSA).
Jio ended 2024 with 170 million 5G users, marking a 15 percent annual increase and representing 35 percent of its mobile customer base. Meanwhile, Airtel’s 5G subscriber count reached 120 million.
Vodafone Idea recently joined them, launching its 5G service in Mumbai with plans to launch in new telecom circles soon. Vodafone Idea plans to deploy 10,000 5G sites across 17 service areas in the current fiscal year -ending March 31, and an additional 12,000 in fiscal 2026.
The carrier had been carrying out 5G trials in various telecom circles across the country. As part of its revival plan, Vodafone Idea had recently raised fresh funds to improve 4G coverage and roll out 5G to prevent further subscriber losses.
Also, state-run telecom operator BSNL previously confirmed it has received interest from three companies for deploying its 5G Standalone (SA) network in Delhi, covering 1,876 sites across the national capital.
BSNL first announced the tender in November 2024 to kickstart 5G operations in Delhi.
