The Indian government may issue a regulation requiring the teardown or in-depth testing of phones to guarantee that devices and installed apps are not spying on citizens. To combat suspected cyber snooping, the government is allegedly compiling a list of trusted providers and companies for telecom equipment and networking products. The move is regarded as a response to Chinese aggression at the India-China border.
According to sources acquainted with the scenario, Chinese brands would be targeted if the regulation is implemented. The rule aims to keep Chinese companies like Huawei and ZTE out of critical areas of telecom networks. The government does not intend to scare off companies, but rather to ensure that there are no security concerns, and the Chinese should not have a problem if they believe the products are legitimate.
The MeitY, the National Technical Research Organization, and other government agencies are exploring the feasibility of such a rule. Industry organizations are working with the Prime Minister’s Office, the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, as well as other government agencies.
Last June, a call to boycott Chinese products in India was launched in the aftermath of a fatal border clash between the two countries in the GalwanValley in eastern Ladak, when twenty Indian Army personnel were killed in a fierce clash with Chinese troops, sparking an increase in anti-China sentiment on Indian streets.
