In a step to end Chinese domination in the Smartphone industry, the government agencies are now delaying quality approval of Chinese phone companies. According to a report by Reuters, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) — India’s apex quality control agency– is delaying the approval of phone components and television sets for imports.
As per Reuters, one official said, “The relationship has gone south dramatically. We cannot do business as usual.” The report further that added India was unlikely to immediately approve several investments proposals from Chinese companies.
The government is willing to support Indian players and throw out Chinese Smartphone giants from the supply chain of India as they are the potential security threats. Xiaomi, the largest selling smartphone brand in India, is sending private user data to the servers in its home country– China, as reported by Forbes in an exclusive story. The Chinese smartphone brand accounts for more than one-fourth of the total new sales in India and has become a dominant player in the last few years, overtaking the Korean giant, Samsung.
Previously, TFIPOST had argued that Modi government can take harsh steps against Chinese phones and therefore, one must think twice before buying a phone from a Chinese company. These Chinese phones posses some serious security threats.
Firstly, all Chinese phones come with pre-installed bloatware like custom browsers, cache cleaner, games, health apps and other utility apps that have all possible permissions to your system.
Secondly, there are Custom ROMs. Google gives the barebone version of Android OS to Mobile Handset makers, who customize the operating system to make it more personalized.
And thirdly, every phone has a camera and a microphone that can be used as a surveillance device. In the case of China, it becomes all the more grave as their data burglary and proclivity for keeping an eye on the world is not a secret.
Chinese Smartphone companies haven’t borne the wrath of the Modi government yet and they continue to sell these phones in India. Companies like Xiaomi and BBK Electronics (owners of Vivo, Oppo, OnePlus, and RealMe brands that control around 50 per cent of the market share) are trying to save themselves by putting an argument that they manufacture in India and provide jobs to thousands of Indians.
Now, the government has started making efforts to purge China from the technology sector in India. “The products are not getting clearance as quality standards are being upgraded because of which many product lines could be affected,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.
The government is making sincere efforts to purge the China-based companies and their investments sector by sector. In the last few weeks, many Chinese apps were banned and the contracts given to Chinese companies were also scrapped. Despite this, Flipkart and Amazon are still handing out Chinese phones at throwaway prices to unsuspecting customers as the festive season starts.
But the fact remains that government is vigilant towards the Smartphone sector from where China is earning billions of dollars every year and has started taking steps to flush out Chinese domination in the sector.