India’s Department of Telecom (DoT) has withdrawn its requirement for mandatory testing and certification of smartphones and certain other consumer electronic products.
According to recent reports in the Hindustan Times and other media outlets, the DOT’s action is in connection with its Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunications Equipment (MTCTE) regime, which would require manufacturers of a wide range of electronic products to have their devices tested and certified by an accredited testing laboratory. The requirements under the MTCTE regime are scheduled to take effect as of January 1, 2023.
However, the DoT received significant backlash from telecom operators and the smartphone industry. These companies were already subject to compulsory testing and registration of many electronic devices, such as laptops and point of sale (PoS) devices, under the scope of regulations previously issued by India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
The overlapping orders would have imposed additional compliance costs on these manufacturers and further impeded the introduction of new and innovative technologies in India. They were also inconsistent with India’s stated goal of easing restrictions on companies doing business in their country.
