Cable connectivity, different tasks: Industry seeks simpler bid standards

Domestic telecom gear makers have written to Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Secretary Anshu Prakash, searching for his intervention to make sure that their bids are additionally accepted in tasks reminiscent of submarine cable connectivity between Lakshadweep and Kochi.
In one such letter to Prakash on Thursday, the Telecom Equipment Manufacturers Association (TEMA) of India — a consultant physique of electronics, cellular, telecom, digital system design and manufacturing corporations — mentioned that of the 25 bidders current in a pre-bid assembly for the submarine cable connectivity between Lakshadweep and Kochi, as many as 22 raised objections in opposition to the eligibility standards.
“22 foreign and Indian companies raised their concerns against the eligibility criteria, which are neither as per the CVC guidelines nor ITU standards due to which most of the interested companies are not able to bid,” TEMA’s letter to Prakash learn. Thursday’s letter to Prakash, nonetheless, is just not the primary time that the problem of stringent eligibility standards put in place by state-run telcos reminiscent of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) has been raised by home gear makers.
Earlier too, these corporations had, earlier than the implementation of the Calcutta-Andaman Nicobar Islands (CANI) connectivity mission, raised objections on the strict standards in place for bidders, each overseas and Indian. State-run telecom firm BSNL, nonetheless, determined to go forward with the plan.

“After the project, several bidders from India and abroad contacted us and expressed how they were unable to bid due to stringent eligibility criteria. The CANI project ended up having a single bidder. We are hoping that some of these conditions will be relaxed so that there could be more bidders for the Kochi project,” a senior govt with a home telecom gear maker mentioned.
The CANI mission, India’s first ever undersea optical fibre connectivity mission, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi final August, whereas the work for laying of cables began in December 2018. The 2,312 km-long cable connectivity mission is being applied at a value of Rs 1,224 crore. The mission was gained by NEC Technologies India, a subsidiary of Japan’s NEC Japan, and different bidders alleged that the home subsidiary had proven the expertise of its guardian firm to qualify for the stringent standards.

For the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands mission, solely NEC Technologies India and Alcatel have made it to the ultimate spherical, as different corporations have been filtered out because of the stringent situations, sources mentioned. “Even established Indian companies like Sterlite and L&T have not been shortlisted as they do not have any experience in submarine cable laying. We are hoping that some norms are relaxed so that there is healthy competition,” an govt mentioned.