India should aim for net zero imports of telecom equipment by 2022: Trai

According to data shared by Trai, the export of telecom instrument stood at $1,201.7 million

Telecom regulator Trai has recommended that India should aim for net zero imports of telecom equipment by 2022 and a fund with an initial corpus of Rs 10 billion should be created to promote research, design and testing of such products in the country.

The regulator said its recommendations are to make India transform from an import-dependent sector to a global hub for indigenous manufacturing of telecom equipment.

According to data shared by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), the export of telecom instrument stood at $1,201.7 million, while imports totalled $21,847.92 million in 2017-18.

Experts believe that one of the primary reasons