The Indian Government has put a halt on approving the imports of Wi-Fi modules from China that are causing companies like Dell, HP, Oppo, Xiaomi, Lenovo and others to delay smartphone and other product launches in the country for months, according to a report by Reuters. 

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Imports of Chinese finished electronic devices are particularly being affected, which include electronics like Bluetooth speakers, wireless earphones, smartphones, smartwatches and laptops. 

Any device that, in fact, contains a WiFi module is being delayed, according to Reuters’ sources.

The report also details that the problem has persisted for a while as India’s Communications Ministry’s Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) arm has withheld approvals for these devices since at least November 2020. 

Applications by Indian companies that import finished products from China are also awaiting approval. 

In fact, more than 80 applications from firms originating from the US, China and Korea are also pending with the WPC. The pending approval suggests the Indian government is taking a tougher stance on Chinese-made products that are being imported into the country. 

India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been pushing for a self-reliant country and even convinced some companies to start more of their production of electronic devices in India. 

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“The government’s idea is to push companies to manufacture these products in India,” one of Reuters’ sources said. “But tech companies are caught in a difficult situation – making in India would mean big-ticket investments and a long wait for returns, on the other hand, the government-imposed hurdle on imports means a potential loss of revenues.”

India has been apprehensive of China ever since the border tensions and geopolitical issues arose in June 2020. The tensions have resulted in India banning a number of Chinese apps, and most recently have left out Chinese networking companies from conducting 5G trials in the country. 

Source: Reuters

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