India is exporting domestically developed and manufactured telecom gear to over 70 countries worldwide. Companies such as Tejas Networks, HFCL, C-DoT, and Reliance Jio are leading this initiative by producing telecom equipment locally, including a portfolio of RAN and core equipment for 5G and 4G developed by Jio.
Madhu Arora, an official from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), spoke at a conference organized by the Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC), stating, “Several Indian companies are designing, manufacturing, and exporting telecom equipment. Telecom gear made in India is now reaching nearly 70 countries.” Arora highlighted that India’s exports have grown by 35%, placing the country on par with other leading manufacturing nations in terms of quality.
In India, telecom service providers have deployed around 450,000 BTS (base transceiver stations) for 5G, with over 80% of these BTS being indigenously developed. It remains unclear if all the indigenous BTS are deployed by Reliance Jio or if some are also from Airtel.
To boost local production and design of telecom equipment, the Indian government has introduced PLI (production-linked incentive) schemes. These schemes have encouraged many multinational corporations and Indian companies to increase their local production capacity.
BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) is utilizing indigenous 4G equipment for its 4G launch in India. According to Anil Kumar Lahoti, Chairman of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), work is in progress to develop indigenous 5G technology that BSNL will use for 5G deployment across the country.
Although India is still in the early stages of telecom equipment and technology manufacturing, significant growth is expected in the coming years. The world is likely to see a major shift in telecom gear manufacturing towards India, potentially establishing the country as a key export hub for advanced technology.
