Today’s telecom news includes announcements on India’s policy on equipment manufacturing, Jio services facing disruption, TRAI’s tariff structure for PM-WANI broadband scheme.
India Seeks Tech Transfer, Timelines to Enhance Value Addition in Manufacturing
The Indian government is reviewing policy frameworks to improve value addition in electronics and telecom equipment manufacturing. Officials emphasized that tightening value addition norms under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme must be supported by technology transfer from global partners. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is in discussions with stakeholders to ensure local sourcing and deeper manufacturing processes. Industry representatives have called for clear timelines and investment thresholds to meet value addition targets. The government is evaluating measures to encourage component manufacturing and reduce import dependence. Discussions also cover the need for alignment between customs regulations and manufacturing incentives. Officials indicated that value addition targets must be realistic and aligned with current capabilities. Policy proposals include co-development arrangements, licensing models, and capacity-building incentives. The aim is to increase domestic manufacturing of sub-assemblies and modules beyond final assembly. Final recommendations will be formulated following consultations with industry participants.
Jio Services Face Disruption, Restored After Technical Issue
Reliance Jio services experienced a large-scale disruption across several regions in India on June 16, 2025. Users reported call failures, mobile internet outages, and problems accessing Jio apps including MyJio and JioCinema. Network issues were concentrated in cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. The outage began around 11:30 AM IST and continued for several hours before being resolved in the evening. Downdetector data showed a surge in complaints during the incident. Jio issued a statement confirming the disruption was caused by a technical issue affecting core network systems. The company stated that services have been restored and teams are monitoring network stability. No specific cause or internal failure detail was disclosed. Users affected included both prepaid and postpaid subscribers. Jio has not announced compensation or service credits related to the disruption.
TRAI Finalizes Tariff Structure for PM-WANI Broadband Scheme
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has finalized a tariff framework to support broadband access under the PM-WANI (Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) scheme. The initiative aims to expand public Wi-Fi networks and increase internet penetration across retail and underserved areas. TRAI has set three prepaid tariff plans: ₹5 for 30 minutes and 1 GB of data, ₹10 for 1 hour and 2 GB, and ₹15 for 2 hours and 3 GB. Tariffs will be implemented by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) and Public Data Offices (PDOs) under a unified licensing regime. The framework is intended to make access affordable while allowing service providers to recover costs. TRAI stated the rates were decided after consultations with stakeholders and evaluation of data usage patterns. The final guidelines have been submitted to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for implementation. The scheme operates on an open architecture to support interoperability and scalability.
TelecomLead.com News Desk
