19th March 2024

Sitara

India’s First Do Tank linking Tech and Geopolitical Power

Lobbies are at it again -overturn Make in India in Bharatnet

Shocking moves are afoot to overturn Make in India provisions in BharatNet tenders worth Rs 29, 432 crores/ Rs 95,541 crores if lifecycle costs are included, on the grounds the private sector is funding it, which it is not, the bulk of the funding will be provided through the USOF, a GOI fund. The proposal put up to Cabinet clearly states 60% will be funded by USOF.

Who believes that actively favoring foreign firms to take over national ICT networks is good for India? And who believes that it is because of sentimental love for foreign firms over national ones like Tejas Networks, Saankhya Labs, Nivetti Systems, Lekha Wireless, most of which are surviving on export orders because the Indian market is closed to them because of distorted procurement practices? China made domestic procurement a Law, and look where they are now.

Indian firms have been looking forward to some participation in BharatNet. Now their hopes are dashed, and with them, the hopes of the country that India will develop its own ICT industrial ecosystem.

With Shri Mohapatra’s passing, we wonder who will fight this in DPIIT? A senior Government official has assured us he will fight for this, but why is it on the table at all? Is it because now that Chinse have been removed, “they” need new “sources”?

This has negative implications for India’s National Security and economic & technological growth. India has remained poor and technologically backward because the stimulus that could have been provided by domestic procurement, has been absent, probably for several decades.

Please read the telecom sector study we are soon bringing out with @RIS support.

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