BSNL cancels Rs 8,697-crore 4G tender as support for locally designed, manufactured gear gathers steam. The move is speculated to have been a result of the heightened India-China border tension and Niti Aayog’s suggestions to allow only locally designed and manufactured equipment for the 4G rollout.
Though the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has not taken any decision to bar Chinese firms or other global players from participating, it has formed a committee to recommend technical specifications for the revised BSNL 4G tender. The report of the panel is expected in a couple of weeks.
In the wake of the anti-China sentiment, the committee will also deliberate whether to invoke Clause 10(d) of the Make in India norms, notified in 2017. According to the clause, if a nodal ministry is satisfied that Indian suppliers of an item are not allowed to participate or compete in procurement by any foreign government, it may restrict bidders from that country