Telecom import curbs not aimed at China, claims Sharma

Curbs on the import of telecom equipment are not aimed at China alone but are part of a broader policy decision, commerce minister Anand Sharma has clarified.

''We are not targeting any country. The decision is not China-specific. We do what is in the interest of India," he told reporters in New Delhi when asked about the recent restrictions on import of Chinese telecom equipment to India.

On Saturday, environment minister Jairam Ramesh had created a furore when he suggested on a visit to Beijing that the government was being ''paranoid'' about blocking such imports from China. (See: Ramesh blasts home, defence ministries during China visit for 'anti-China' stance)

Sharma said, "There are some security parameters, which have been defined by the concerned authorities and ministry of home affairs. While we encourage trade, we are also mindful of some of the needs of the security establishments."

Though officials from the Department of Telecommunications and the commerce ministry are maintaining that there is no "blanket ban" on the import of Chinese telecom equipment into India, telecom operators in India say they are not being allowed to procure equipment from Chinese vendors and this is affecting their business.

Some of the mobile service operators claim that they have received a letter from the DoT that it would take time to clear the purchase of Chinese equipment for their operations, as it had to be first cleared by the ministry of home affairs.