Component Shortages, Price Hikes Weigh Down India Smartphone Shipments to 6-Year Low in 1Q26: Counterpoint
India’s smartphone shipments slipped 3% year‑on‑year in Q1 2026, marking the weakest quarter in six years. Tight supplies of RAM and storage for AI data centers forced OEMs to raise prices, with average hikes exceeding ₹1,500 (about $18). The sub‑₹15,000 segment felt the brunt, while brands such as Vivo and Oppo modestly grew market share. Counterpoint projects a further double‑digit volume decline in Q2 and a 10% YoY drop for the full year.
Centre Forms High-Level Inter-Ministerial Body to Steer AI Governance Strategy
India has created a high‑level inter‑ministerial AI Governance and Economic Group (AIGEG) led by Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. The body will coordinate AI policy across ministries, regulators and industry, and will be supported by a Technology and Policy Expert...
Tejas Networks Elevates Arnob Roy as MD & CEO
Tejas Networks, the Indian telecom equipment maker, announced that long‑time COO Arnob Roy will assume the roles of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer on 15 April 2026, succeeding Anand Athreya. The appointment comes as the company reported a sharply widening Q4...
DoT, SEBI Sign Pact to Curb Misuse of Telecom Resources in Financial Frauds
India’s Department of Telecommunications and the Securities and Exchange Board of India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly combat the misuse of telecom resources in securities‑market frauds. The pact creates a structured data‑sharing framework that will feed the...
Government Likely to Roll Out Mobile PLI 2.0 with Outlay of over $5 Billion by May
India is preparing to launch a second‑phase mobile‑phone Production‑Linked Incentive (PLI 2.0) by May, allocating more than $5 billion (≈₹46,000 crore). The original Scheme for Large‑Scale Electronics Manufacturing, introduced in 2020, already spent about $5.7 billion and has driven smartphone exports to roughly $28 billion...
AI-Driven Chip Shortage Slowing Efforts to Get World Online: GSMA
GSMA warns that the AI‑driven memory chip shortage is inflating smartphone prices and curbing production of low‑end devices, slowing efforts to connect the 2.2 billion unconnected people worldwide. Chipmakers are prioritising high‑bandwidth chips for AI data centres, leaving fewer affordable chips...
Central Government yet to Notify Selection Panels for Data Protection Board
The Indian government has still not formed the search‑cum‑selection committees needed to appoint a chairperson and four members to the Data Protection Board of India (DPBI), five months after the board’s statutory creation under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP)...
DoT Forms Committee to Resolve BSNL’s HR Grievances
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set up a high‑level committee to resolve the persistent human‑resources grievances at state‑run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL). Chaired by the DoT Additional Secretary, the panel includes senior DoT officials, BSNL’s top management and...
C-DoT to Commercialise Indigenously-Developed 5G Radio Network
India’s Centre for Development of Telematics (C‑DoT) has completed an indigenously developed 5G radio that operates in both non‑standalone and standalone modes, partnering with VVDN Technologies and WiSig Networks. The consortium is set to begin field trials in Ambala after...
Nvidia Rewards 10,000 India Staff, Payouts up to ₹1 Crore
Nvidia has awarded a one‑time “Jensen Special Grant” to the majority of its 10,000 India employees, delivering stock awards worth between ₹5 lakh ($6,000) and ₹1 crore ($120,000). The grant adds 25 % extra RSUs on top of existing equity, vesting quarterly over...
Telecom Infrastructure Providers, Gear Makers Face Disruptions
Telecom infrastructure providers in India report operational disruptions linked to the West Asia conflict. Restrictions on diesel sales in several states have hampered refueling of tower generators, while frequent power outages increase reliance on diesel backup. Supply‑chain bottlenecks, including LPG...
PLI 2.0 Calls Ring Louder: India Eyes 35% Global Mobile Output, $130 Billion Production
India’s electronics sector is lobbying for a second Production‑Linked Incentive (PLI 2.0) programme running 2026‑2031 to lift its share of global smartphone manufacturing from the current 15% to 30‑35%. The plan envisions annual output of $110‑130 billion and exports of $55‑70 billion, roughly...
TCS, Kyndryl, NEC & Two Other Firms Empanelled to Build, Run AI for Government Departments
The Indian Ministry of Electronics and IT has empanelled six firms—including Tata Consultancy Services, Kyndryl, NEC, Innefu Labs, CoRover and Cactus Communications—to develop and run AI solutions for government departments. More than 80 companies bid, with Innefu Labs winning the...
India's Data Center Boom a Bottomless Pit
India’s data‑centre market is surging, with projected investment exceeding $100 billion by 2027 and capacity slated to hit 10 GW by 2030. AI, 5G and data‑localisation rules are driving the growth, but the build‑out will demand an extra 40 TWh of power, pushing...
BSNL Surpasses Jio, Airtel as Top Fixed-Line Internet Operator in FY26: Report
BSNL has overtaken Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to become India’s top fixed‑line internet operator in FY26, according to nPerf’s performance barometer. The state‑run carrier posted an overall score of 89,174 nPoints, driven by a 21% year‑on‑year rise in download...
Vi Progressing Positively in Subscriber Growth, Financially: Abhijit Kishore
Vodafone Idea (Vi) reported a modest subscriber gain of 21,927 in February, lifting its total base to 198.4 million. The company highlighted a 26.7% year‑on‑year rise in average data usage to 19.2 GB per month and a 2‑million increase in its 4G/5G...
TRAI Weighs Direct Satellite-to-Mobile Communication Services
India’s telecom regulator TRAI has issued a consultation paper on Direct‑to‑Device (D2D) satellite services, which would let ordinary mobile phones receive signals directly from satellites. The regulator is weighing two models – using Mobile Satellite Service (MSS) spectrum or repurposing...
India Set to Play Leading Role in Domestic, Global Electronics Sector: Jitin Prasada
India is positioning itself as a major player in both domestic and global electronics markets, driven by a suite of government incentives. Minister of State Jitin Prasada highlighted the approval of ten semiconductor projects worth roughly $19 billion and the Electronics...
Bharti Airtel Keen to Work with OTT Cos to Fight Spam: Rahul Vatts
Bharti Airtel announced it will collaborate with OTT communication providers to expand its AI‑driven anti‑spam program, building on a recent partnership with Google that routes RCS messages through Airtel’s spam filters. The telco reports having blocked 71 billion spam calls and...
TRAI Proposes Mandating Telcos to Offer Affordable Plans for Voice, SMS Services Only
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has drafted an amendment requiring every operator to provide at least one special tariff voucher (STV) that includes only voice and SMS for each validity period currently offered with data. The regulator observed...
Mandate States, Departments, PSUs to Use BSNL 4G Services: Employees to PM Modi
BSNL employee unions have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging a mandatory shift to the state‑run carrier’s 4G network for all government offices, departments and public‑sector undertakings. They argue the move would reinforce India’s telecom sovereignty, support BSNL’s financial...
Knowledge-Sharing Between OTTs, Telcos to Help Combat Scam: GSMA’s Julian Gorman
GSMA’s Asia‑Pacific head Julian Gorman announced a new cross‑sector anti‑scam task force that brings together telcos, OTTs and tech giants such as Google and Meta to share threat intelligence. In India, the Department of Telecommunications used an AI‑driven ASTR tool...
IBM Deploys AI-Ready Data Lakehouse for India’s Tata Play Fiber
IBM has implemented an AI‑ready data lakehouse built on its watsonx platform for Tata Play Fiber, India’s leading fiber broadband provider. The solution merges 25 separate data sources into a unified, scalable environment, enabling real‑time analytics and advanced AI workloads. By consolidating...
Centre Set to Prioritise Memory Chips Under Semicon Mission 2.0
India’s Semiconductor Mission 2.0 (ISM 2.0) will give priority to advanced memory packaging, specifically high‑bandwidth memory (HBM), to support the growing AI data‑center market. The second phase, backed by roughly ₹1 lakh crore (about $12 billion), shifts focus from a broad ecosystem to targeted...
India's 60 Mn SMBs May Present Next Big Revenue Opportunity for Telcos: Experts
India’s telecom operators face stagnant ARPU around ₹180‑200 ($2‑$2.5) per month as subscriber growth stalls at 1.17 billion. Analysts estimate that targeting the country’s 60 million small and medium enterprises could unlock up to ₹50,000 crore ($6 billion) in annual revenue through commissions, cloud...
Recover Outstanding Damages, Non-Performance Penalty of Rs 8.49 Cr From Airtel: CAG
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has urged Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) to recover ₹8.49 crore (≈ $1 million) in liquidated damages and non‑performance penalties from Bharti Airtel. The penalties arise from Airtel’s failure to meet its 2017‑2019 agreement to commission 756 rural...
Bharti Airtel Achieves 650 Mn Subscriber Milestone
Bharti Airtel announced it has crossed 650 million subscribers worldwide, spanning its Indian and African operations. The telecom now ranks second globally by mobile customer base, behind China Mobile, with 386 million mobile users in India and 179 million in Africa. Airtel highlighted...
India's Telecom Imports From China Rise to $6.37 Billion in 2023-24: Pemmasani
India’s telecom imports from China climbed to $6.37 billion in the 2023‑24 fiscal year, up from $5.55 billion in 2019‑20. Total telecom‑equipment imports rose to $17.01 billion, reflecting a broader expansion in the sector. To curb dependence, the government introduced a public procurement...
CBI Registers Fresh Case Against RCom, Anil Ambani
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a fresh criminal case against industrialist Anil Ambani and his former telecom venture Reliance Communications Ltd (RCOM). The case alleges that RCOM induced the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to buy...
Banks, Telcos to Chuck OTPs, Adopt Silent Authentication
India’s leading private banks and telecom operators are jointly phasing out traditional one‑time passwords in favor of a silent authentication system that validates the mobile number linked to a banking app against the SIM currently active on the device. The...
Eutelsat in Talks with India's Space Agency to Boost Satellite Launch Options
Eutelsat is negotiating with India’s ISRO to add launch capacity, aiming to cut dependence on SpaceX and Ariane rockets. The talks come after the OneWeb merger and a plan to launch 440 new satellites, a programme estimated at €2 bn ($2.3 bn)....
Pan-India Monthly 5G Data Traffic Surges 70% On-Year in 2025: Nokia
India’s 5G data traffic surged 70% year‑on‑year to 12.9 exabytes in 2025, according to Nokia’s Mobile Broadband Index 2026. 5G now represents 47% of total mobile broadband traffic, with average monthly consumption per user exceeding 31 GB, an 18% CAGR over...
Jio’s Mathew Oommen Pips Vittal, Kishore to Win Prestigious ‘CEO of the Year’ Award
Mathew Oommen, group CEO of Jio Platforms, captured the ET Telecom Awards 2026 “CEO of the Year” title, edging out Bharti Airtel’s Gopal Vittal and Vodafone Idea’s Abhijit Kishore. Jio also secured “Telecom Network Operator of the Year,” underscoring its rapid 5G expansion...
ECMS: Centre Approves New Projects From Dixon, Lohum, Indo-MIM, Syrma & Others with ₹7,104 Crore Investmens
The Indian government approved 29 electronics component projects under the Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme, committing roughly $855 million (₹7,104 crore) in capital. The approved initiatives, led by firms such as Dixon Display, Lohum Cleantech and Indo‑MIM, aim to produce goods worth about...
Market Reset: India Pulls the Plug on Chinese CCTV Makers
India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will stop certifying Chinese CCTV brands such as Hikvision and Dahua from April 1, effectively barring them from the market. The new essential requirements mandate disclosure of component origins and vulnerability testing, forcing...
Smartphone PLI Surpasses Targets, Turns Out to Be Right Call for India
India’s smartphone Production‑Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme has generated over ₹24 lakh crore (≈$250 billion) in mobile phone output since FY 2020‑21, while the government disbursed roughly ₹21,000 crore (≈$2.5 billion), less than 1% of that value. The program surpassed its original targets of ₹10.5 lakh crore in production...
BSNL to Add up to 60,000 More Towers, FY26 Operating Profit to Grow in Double Digits: Scindia
State‑run BSNL will add 50,000‑60,000 new mobile towers, bringing its total to roughly 1.6 lakh sites, to strengthen its 4G network before a rapid upgrade to 5G. The telecom ministry highlighted a record capital outlay of ₹20,000 crore (about $2.4 billion) for the...
Telcos Navigate Subsea Cable Risks; Centre Asks for Analysis, Fallback Options as War Rages
India’s telecom regulator has asked carriers and subsea‑cable operators to produce a risk analysis and fallback plans as the war in West Asia threatens undersea data pipelines. The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one‑third of India’s westbound traffic to the...
BharatNet Phase 3: Pratap Technocrats Signs ₹8,025 Crore Contract with BSNL for Three Packages
Pratap Technocrats has secured an approximately $980 million contract with state‑run BSNL to design, build, operate and maintain the middle‑mile fiber network for BharatNet Phase 3 in Rajasthan, Haryana and Assam. The deal, covering three packages worth ₹2,839.25 crore, ₹836.78 crore and ₹831.61 crore respectively,...
Sunil Mittal to Retire as Chair of Airtel Africa in July
Sunil Bharti Mittal will retire as chair of Airtel Africa in July 2026, ending a seven‑year tenure that began with the company’s 2019 listing. Gopal Vittal, the executive vice‑chairman of Bharti Airtel and current GSMA chair, will succeed him as non‑executive...
OnePlus India CEO Robin Liu Steps Down, Moves Back to China
OnePlus India CEO Robin Liu has resigned, ending his eight‑year tenure and returning to China, with his last day set for March 31. His departure occurs amid a broader Oppo Group restructuring that consolidates sub‑brand leadership under Realme CEO Sky Li. In...
BSNL’s Caller Name Presentation Service May Launch in 3-4 Months
State‑owned BSNL is testing integration of its Caller Name Presentation (CNAP) service with private operators Jio, Airtel and Vi, aiming for a pan‑India rollout within three to four months. The Centre for Development of Telematics (C‑DoT) has built the solution,...
#ET5GCongress: AI-Led Automation Redefining Telco Operations, Energy Efficiency, Says Airtel CTO Randeep Sekhon
At the ET Telecom 5G Congress, Airtel CTO Randeep Sekhon said AI is becoming a core layer for telecom operations, shifting the industry from reactive fixes to predictive, real‑time problem solving. He highlighted AI’s ability to unify data across network,...
Truecaller Joins Telcos Against AI-Based Number Blocking
Truecaller has aligned with Indian telecom operators to oppose the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) plan to automatically block numbers flagged by AI‑based spam filters. The company argues that AI models are imperfect and that users should retain the...
India's Telecom Subscriber Base Jumps 7.86 Million in January
India’s telecom subscriber base rose by 7.86 million in January, reaching 1.314 billion users. The increase was almost entirely driven by wireless additions of 7.57 million, while broadband subscriptions grew a modest 0.20% to 1.052 billion. Urban markets added 4.89 million subscribers versus 2.97 million in...
India's Digital Economy to Account for 20% of GDP by 2030, Says MeitY Secy S Krishnan
India’s digital economy, currently contributing about 13 % of GDP, is projected to rise to nearly 20 % by 2030, growing at roughly twice the pace of the broader economy. The surge is driven by rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and expanding...
Parliamentary Panel Suggests MeitY Seek Expert Views on GPU Plans
India’s Parliamentary Standing Committee on Communications and IT warned the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) that high GPU hardware costs, global supply‑chain delays, and the massive power‑water footprint of data centres threaten the country’s push for large GPU clusters....
Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitendra Singh, Chandra Shekhar Pemmasani to Attend ET's 5G Congress 2026
The Economic Times' ET Telecom is hosting the ninth 5G Congress 2026 and the fifth Telecom Awards on 20 March in New Delhi. Union Ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, Jitendra Singir, and Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani will headline the event, which will draw nearly 400 delegates from government, regulators and leading operators....
Amazon Knocks on DoT's Door to Get Satcom Nod Fast
Amazon’s Project Kuiper has written repeatedly to India’s Department of Telecommunications seeking an expedited satcom permit, as the company lags far behind its 3,200‑satellite launch schedule, having placed only about 200 LEO units to date. The firm hopes the clearance...
Reliance Said to Work with Six Banks for Jio’s Upcoming IPO
Reliance Industries has engaged six investment banks—BofA Securities, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JM Financial, Kotak Mahindra Capital and Morgan Stanley—to manage the upcoming IPO of its telecom arm, Jio Platforms. The offering could become India’s largest ever, with bankers estimating a...