【New Delhi】India's telecom exports may drop by about 40 per cent if uncertainty about Nokia's plant near Chennai continues and production is affected, the Telecom Equipment & Services Export Promotion Council said.
"This year, we saw a dip in telecom equipment exports due to lower contribution from Nokia, which generally accounts for about 70 per cent of handset exports. In case the uncertainty continues regarding their plant, we apprehend there may be a drastic decline in exports," TEPC Secretary R K Pathak said at an event organised by Singapore Exhibitions Services here.
○DoT may withdraw Rs 1,000-cr fine on Loop for license violation
【New Delhi】The department of telecommunications may withdraw a penalty of about Rs 1,000 crore on Loop Telecom for allegedly violating 2G spectrum licence norms by discontinuing operations in 21 circles.
Loop was one of the companies whose licences were quashed by the Supreme Court on February 2, 2012. Following the order, the company discontinued services from June 1 that year and preferred not to bid in the fresh spectrum auction.
According to sources, a senior advocate has opined that DoT cannot levy the penalty as it would be contempt of court. The DoT had issued a show-cause notice to Loop Telecom in November 2012 for discontinuing its operations and said it would impose a Rs 1,000 crore penalty for allegedly violating licence norms.
○DoT wants longer-tenure security nod to expat executives
【NEW DELHI】The telecom department wants to relax a rule that makes security clearance mandatory for foreigners working in some senior position in the sector, because the process often gets caught up in bureaucratic red tape and takes months to complete.
Foreigners working in certain positions such as the chief executive of a telecom company in India require security clearance every year. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) wants to expand the tenure of the clearance to five years, according to the minutes of a meeting held between the officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the telecom department. The department has also blamed the MHA, which is responsible for conducting security checks, for taking an abnormally long time to grant clearances.
【News source】
Govt fears Nokia impasse may hit telecom exports
DoT may withdraw Rs 1,000-cr fine on Loop for license violation
DoT wants longer-tenure security nod to expat executives
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