Category: Communications

Indian firms in the electronics, solar, and electric vehicle (EV) sectors are experiencing delays and disruptions due to China’s restrictions on export of key inputs and machinery, economic think tank GTRI.

It said the curbs could be China’s response to India’s restrictions on Chinese investments and visas.

“This also signals deeper geopolitical tensions and trade war. We hope India-specific restrictions go away soon as they will also hurt China,” Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) Founder Ajay Srivastava said.

He added that while these measures impact India’s electronics, solar, and EV sectors, they are also harmful to China’s own manufacturing and exports.

“Indian firms in electronics, solar, and EV sectors are facing delays and disruptions as China blocks exports of inputs and machinery,” it said.

India must stay firm against unreasonable demands from China and focus on building local manufacturing capabilities and diversifying supply chains, he said.

Srivastava said India is particularly vulnerable to China’s export restrictions, as many of its industries depend on Chinese machinery, intermediate goods, and components.

India’s imports from China increased to USD 101.73 billion in 2023-24 from USD 98.5 billion in 2022-23. In 2020, the government made it mandatory for countries sharing land borders with India to seek its approval for investments in any sector.

Most countries, including ASEAN members, use Chinese inputs to manufacture final products for domestic use and exports.

“India must also strengthen partnerships with Japan and South Korea to source high-quality components for electronics, solar panels, and EVs. Engaging with these countries will help India cut reliance on China and build more resilient supply chains,” he added.

With US President-elect Donald Trump likely to introduce new tariffs on China, Beijing has imposed export curbs on critical minerals and high-tech equipment.

In 2024, China’s merchandise exports reached $3.6 trillion, with a trade surplus of $992 billion.

This highlights that despite the US efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese goods, China remains a key player in global supply chains, the think tank said.

China plays a pivotal role in supplying raw materials and intermediate goods to countries like Mexico, Vietnam, and ASEAN, which process them into finished products and export them to the US.

It added that China’s current export restrictions are part of its broader strategy to retaliate against US sanctions on Chinese tech firms.

Key actions taken by China include imposing controls on gallium and germanium exports in August 2023, which are vital for solar cell production.

In December 2024, China banned exports of gallium, germanium, and antimony, critical for semiconductors and defence technologies, specifically targeting the US for the first time in retaliation to Biden administration measures that restricted chip-making equipment exports and blacklisted 140 Chinese firms, it added.

In January 2025, China proposed adding lithium extraction and battery cathode technologies to its controlled export list, which are crucial for EV battery manufacturing. PTI

The Kerala High Court has directed the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to file a statement on the progress of the investigation into the financial scam in the BSNL Engineers’ Cooperative Society.

The January 10 direction came on a petition filed by N.A. Abraham, convener of the BSNL Society Depositors’ Forum, and Surendran Nair K.

The court directed the deputy director, Enforcement Directorate (Kochi office), to file a statement concerning the present stage of investigation. The case is being taken up next on January 27.

The Kerala High Court has directed the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) to file a statement on the progress of the investigation into the financial scam in the BSNL Engineers’ Cooperative Society.

The January 10 direction came on a petition filed by N.A. Abraham, convener of the BSNL Society Depositors’ Forum, and Surendran Nair K.

The court directed the deputy director, Enforcement Directorate (Kochi office), to file a statement concerning the present stage of investigation. The case is being taken up next on January 27.

The petitioners wanted the court to direct the ED to launch prosecution measures against the accused (past office-bearers of the society) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Mr. Abraham and Mr. Surendran Nair, who are over 70 years old, also urged the court to direct the Enforcement Directorate to hold its camp sittings in Thiruvananthapuram considering the advanced age of the depositors.

The case pertains to the embezzlement of depositors’ money to the tune of ₹260 crore in the BSNL Engineers’ Cooperative Society. Several hundreds of depositors, the vast majority of whom are in the 65-85 age group, who had invested in deposit schemes offered by the society, were cheated of their life savings, according to multiple complaints lodged with the police and the Registrar of Cooperative Societies. The Hindu

The global Supply Chain Security Market will grow to USD 5.14 billion by 2030 from USD 2.52 billion in 2024, at a CAGR of 12.6% during 2024- 2030, according to Markets and Markets.

The major drivers of the market growth of the Supply Chain Security Market are the rising frequency of cyberattacks, data breaches, and disruptions across global supply chains. For instance, we have observed that industries such as logistics, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and retail are experiencing growing threats to data integrity and operational continuity. In addition to this, adoption of blockchain technology for supply chain security is growing due to its decentralized, transparent, and tamper-proof ledger capabilities. This facilitates real-time tracking, authentication of the goods, and anomaly detection against security risks.

With blockchain and IoT integration, companies can assure traceability of shipments, prevent unauthorized access, and enhance network visibility. Further, advanced technologies such as AI and predictive analytics enable advanced proactive identification of vulnerabilities thus reducing downtime and financial loss. For example, a smart system in modern warehouse supports automated risk management and ensures strict data localization and privacy regulations. Also, advanced digital infrastructure in urban areas enhances adoption thereby ensuring secure streamlined operations.

Based on the organization size, SMEs are expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are likely to register the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to higher adoption of digital solution and growing exposure to security threats. The greater incorporation of SMEs in the global supply chains imposes increased pressure on them to comply with regulations, protect sensitive information, and handle emerging problems such as cyberattacks, counterfeiting, and disruptions. Apart from this, affordable cloud-based solutions and cheaper security technologies have made it possible for SMEs to use highly complex solutions such as real-time monitoring, threat detection, and end-to-end visibility without having to make hefty infrastructure investments. SMEs have begun using technologies such as IoT, blockchain, and AI-driven analytics for maximum efficiency and low exposure to risk. Additionally, priorities like logistics security, data governance and traceability, have all gained precedence in a modern world highly reliant on ecommerce and foreign trade. Further, government encouragement towards the SME digitalisation encourages SMEs to adopt supply chain security solutions so that they can compete effectively in international competitions.

By Security type, Data Locality & Protection will grow at the highest market size during the forecast period.
With a rise in data sovereignty concerns, regulatory compliance, and cybersecurity risks, the data locality & protection segment will dominate the Supply Chain Security Market. Since organisations are increasingly adopting supply chains globally, governments are implementing stronger laws on data localisation, where sensitive data should be within the national borders. The need to safeguard against data breaches, observe regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, and also protect intellectual property makes a case for this change. With the increasing cyberattacks against supply chains, the flow of information across interlinked systems requires advanced protection. Businesses also employ cloud solutions with local infrastructure to reduce latency and provide security. All these factors drive the demand for robust data locality and protection strategies, hence making it the segment with largest market size.

By region, North America will grow at the highest market size during the forecast period.
North America is expected to grow at the highest market size in the Supply Chain Security Market during the forecast period because of its advanced technological infrastructure, stringent regulatory framework, and increasing cybersecurity threats. The region houses major economies like the United States and Canada, which are at the forefront of adopting cutting-edge technologies such as IoT, blockchain, and AI for supply chain visibility and security. This also includes North America, whose strict compliance requirements, CISA regulations, and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework propel organisations to invest heavily in solutions for supply chain security.

The increasing number of cyberattacks, especially ransomware, and breaches in critical supply chain networks have led industries in healthcare, manufacturing, and retail to enhance their defenses. Furthermore, government initiatives in the form of Biden’s Executive Order on Supply Chain Resilience heighten supply chain security. With vigorous adoption of cloud-based solutions, increasing digitalization, and vendor presence, North America is expected to lead this market. Markets and Markets

Indonesia will impose interim child protection guidelines on social media companies while the government carves out a law to set a minimum age for users of the platforms, a senior communications ministry official said on Wednesday.

On Monday, communications minister Meutya Hafid said the government planned to issue a regulation to set a minimum age for social media users, after discussing the proposal to protect children online with President Prabowo Subianto.

The plan follows Australia’s decision to ban children under 16 from accessing social media, with fines for tech giants from Instagram and Facebook owner Meta to TikTok, owned by China’s ByteDance, if they failed to prevent children from accessing their platforms.

“What the minister means is that the government is headed for the direction of a stronger regulation on age limit, which is through the formation of a law,” Alexander Sabar, a senior official at the communications and digital ministry, told Reuters.

In the meantime, the government will issue a regulation for digital platforms, including social media companies, to adhere to child protection guidelines, he said, without providing details.

“The emphasis for the government regulation is child protection — how they are protected from physical, mental, or moral perils,” he said, adding the regulation would not totally limit children’s access to social media.

Meta and TikTok did not respond to requests for comment.

Nurmayanti, a 46-year-old mother of three who goes by one name, said she agreed with the plan to curtail social media content, particularly content promoting pornography or discrimination.

“They now can freely open social media so that is concerning to us as parents,” she said, adding the law must be strict and clear.

However, Anis Hidayah, a commissioner at Indonesia’s main human rights body, said that limiting the internet for children was important but the government must be careful to not curb their right to information.

Nearly 50% of children under 12 in tech-savvy Indonesia use the internet with some respondents of that age group using Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, according to a survey by the Indonesia internet service providers’ association. Reuters

In Russia, users of telecom operators and services have reported issues with their operations. Problems are also observed with Telegram, Tiktok, and Google, according to Meduza.

Reports indicate outages affecting users of Beeline, MegaFon, MTS, Rostelecom, and Tele2. Additionally, issues have been reported with Telegram, TikTok, Google, YouTube, Steam, and Twitch.

According to Roskomnadzor, they are unaware of the cause of the large-scale outage in the Runet.

“Disruptions are being recorded across all operators, and the cause of the failure is being determined,” the agency’s press service stated.

Earlier, we reported that cyber specialists from Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence targeted services within Russia’s oil sector. The primary target was the resources of the Lukoil oil company, which plays an active role in supporting Russia’s forces. News Ukraine

Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Er Gulam Ali Khatana chaired a review meeting of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) , here today and said that BJP led Government in Centre was interested to improve the BSNL services in rural as well as in urban areas.

He stressed that BSNL services should be brought at par with the services of other TSPS. “BSNL officials should work harder to win back the trust of the consumers and to get BSNL revenue figures in positive. That can be achieved only when BSNL officers adopt customer friendly approach,” he said.

During the discussion, the MP discussed agenda points in the meeting and expressed his dissatisfaction with the poor call quality being faced at some of the locations of Jammu province.

From BSNL side, detailed report regarding the services being provided by BSNL and actions taken by BSNL to improve the services, was presented by Principal General Manager Business Area Jammu, Mumtaz Ahmed who gave a brief note of services/telecom facilities being provided by BSNL in all the ten districts of Jammu province.

PGMT, BA Jammu informed that under 4G Saturation project of Government of India, all the uncovered villages are being covered with 4G connectivity. Moreover, he added, FTTH and Air Fiber services have been launched by the BSNL to provide high speed internet as per the Digital India Mission. In Phase-3, all the Block headquarters and Gram Panchayats shall be covered with high speed internet connectivity on Fiber.

The MP also raised the issue of poor brand visibility of the services being offered by BSNL Jammu BA. He was also very much concerned about the less number of BSNL Mobile towers in comparison to other TSPS and was of the opinion that BSNL officials should work for improving the QoS and customer satisfaction by increasing the tower count and service availability.

Other BSNL officials present in the meeting were Nand Kishore, Rajesh Khanna, Rakesh Sharma, Rajesh Shama, Pran Nath Raina, Vijay Kumar Sharma and A K Maurya. Daily Excelsior

Shares of Vodafone Idea (Vi) hit a three-month high of Rs 9.18, as they rallied 11 per cent on the BSE in Wednesday’s intraday trade amid heavy volumes. In two days, the stock of the telecom services provider has surged 19 per cent. It is quoting at its highest level since October 17, 2024. It has bounced back 39 per cent from its 52-week low of Rs 6.60 touched on November 22, 2024.

At 12:34 PM, Vi was trading 10 per cent higher at Rs 9.11 on the BSE, as compared to the 0.36 per cent rise on the BSE Sensex. The average trading volumes on the counter more than doubled, with a combined 923 million equity shares being transacted on the NSE and BSE.

Vodafone Idea is an Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group partnership. It is amongst India’s leading telecom service providers. The company provides pan-India voice and data services across 4G and 2G platforms. The company holds a large spectrum portfolio, including mid-band 5G spectrum in 17 circles and mmWave 5G spectrum in 16 circles.

To improve its network performance, Vi has recently partnered with HCL Software, the software business unit of HCL Technologies, to make its 4G and 5G networks smarter and more efficient.

HCL Tech informed the stock exchange that Vi has partnered with HCL Software to make its 4G and 5G networks smarter and more efficient. “Vi is now using HCL Augmented Network Automation (HCL ANA), a multi-vendor self-optimising network (MV-SON) platform, to manage its Ericsson and Samsung networks. This advanced technology will help Vodafone Idea to improve network performance, save energy, and offer better services to its customers,” the company said.

The HCL ANA platform uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to simplify the management of Vi’s complex multi-vendor, multi-technology and multi-layered network to ensure smooth integration and efficient network operations. The platform is also SMO ready (ORAN), making the investment future-proof, it added.

This collaboration brings several benefits to Vi and its users. The HCL ANA platform has an open architecture and empowers Vi to manage and automate its network independently, reducing dependency on OEM-specific features and applications. It helps save energy, reducing costs and making the network more sustainable. Most importantly, Vi customers will experience a faster and more reliable network, HCLTech said in the statement.

Meanwhile, on January 9, 2025, the Capital Raising Committee of the board, allotted 1,693 million equity shares of face value of Rs 10 each at an issue price of Rs 11.28 per equity share (including a premium of Rs. 1.28 per equity share), to Omega Telecom Holdings Private Limited (1,084.6 million equity shares) and Usha Martin Telematics Limited (608.6 million equity shares), promoters of Vi, aggregating to Rs 1,909.95 crore, on a preferential basis.

While the recent hike in telecom tariffs increased average revenue per users (ARPUs), Vi’s revenue rose only marginally in the September quarter (Q2FY25). The company expects the impact of the tariff increase to continue to be seen in ARPU and revenue for the next two quarters. However, it expects the subscriber base to grow with the expansion of its 4G coverage and roll-out of 5G in key geographies, Q4FY25 onwards. Further, its fund-raising proposal, through the issuance of equity share or convertible securities, are expected to support its expansion plan as well as pay down debt, Geojit Financial Services said in the company’s Q2 results update.

The company contracted the US-based Genesys to implement advanced cloud CX and telecom solutions. Also, Vi Business, under its Hybrid SD-WAN portfolio, partnered with Infinity Labs to build locally manufactured SD-WAN solutions. This will provide protection to enterprises in India against cyber attacks by integrating AI-based security features. The company has signed deals totaling Rs 30,000 crore with Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung for network equipment supply for three years. Business Standard

Elon Musk has asked attorney generals in the states of California and Delaware to push OpenAI to auction a major stake in its business to decide fair value of its charitable asset during its corporate restructuring.

Musk’s attorney Marc Toberoff sent a letter to the states’ top law officers on Tuesday in which he argued they should provide a process for competitive bidding to determine fair market value of OpenAI’s charitable assets to “protect the public’s beneficial interest,” as the startup is working on removing the control of its non-profit, according to the sources.

“Elon is engaging in lawfare. We remain focused on our mission and work,” OpenAI spokesperson said in a statement. The startup previously said the valuation of its charitable assets will be determined by independent financial advisors. Financial Times reported the letter earlier in the day.

Sam Altman co-founded OpenAI alongside Musk and others, and became one of the technology world’s biggest names after the 2022 launch of the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT. Backed by Microsoft, OpenAI was valued at $157 billion in October after raising $6.6 billion from investors.

Reuters first reported the ChatGPT maker’s plan to revamp its corporate structure so its for-profit business would be independent from non-profit control in September. The company outlined the plan in detail late December, saying it would create a public benefit corporation to make it easier to “raise more capital than we’d imagined” and the plan would result in “one of the best resourced non-profits in history.”

Musk, who owns AI startup xAI, is suing OpenAI in courts in an effort to block OpenAI’s conversion, which it had argued as a departure of the mission he funded the company on. The court is likely to rule on the preliminary injunction Musk’s lawyers had applied for later this month.

Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings weighed in on the case by sending the court an amicus brief on Dec. 29, stating she is currently reviewing OpenAI’s proposed changes.

“That Delaware is on record asserting that it is closely monitoring the situation should definitely undercut a judge’s willingness to enjoin a transaction Musk and Encode characterize as dangerous, unwise, or the product of fiduciary violations,” Darryll Jones, Professor of Law at Florida A&M University wrote in a blog. Encode is an AI safety non-profit that joined Musk’s efforts to block OpenAI’s for-profit transition.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who also has jurisdiction, has not commented on the case, despite a letter from Meta urging him to block it. Reuters

India’s start-up ecosystem has solidified its position as a global powerhouse in 2024, with the country leading the global IPO (initial public offer) market by hosting 327 IPOs, including 13 from the tech sector, pointed out an Orios Venture Partners report.

The ‘India Tech Unicorns & Exits Report 2024’ report shared that Swiggy’s $1.34 billion IPO became the largest global tech IPO of the year. Zomato’s inclusion in the Sensex marked a historic first for a tech company in the index. India now ranks as the third-largest nation for venture capital-backed tech IPOs globally. This has propelled India’s listed tech companies to a combined market capitalisation nearing $150 billion.

The report highlights that one-fifth of Indian unicorns are headquartered overseas in countries like the US, Singapore and Dubai, underscoring Indian start-ups’ intentions to tap into international markets and attract global investors.

2024 for e-comm
In 2024, India added seven new unicorns, bringing the total valuation of Indian unicorns to an extraordinary $385 billion. The country’s tech ecosystem also showcased maturity, with 29 unicorns reporting profitability. 80 per cent of unicorn founders have engineering backgrounds, including 140 IIT graduates.

2024 also saw $11.4 billion raised across 1,547 deals. Late-stage funding dominated, accounting for 62 per cent of the total investment. The e-commerce sector led in both funding and unicorn creation.

Bengaluru hosted the highest number of funding rounds, contributing to six of the seven newly-minted unicorns.

Rehan Yar Khan, Managing Partner at Orios Venture Partners, said, “India’s tech ecosystem has matured into a global force, creating value not just at home but around the globe. In 2024, our start-ups demonstrated their ability to innovate, scale, and compete globally.” The Hindu BusinessLine

The last time pilgrims thronged the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2013, 4G had been deployed by Indian telecom operators for just about a year and was far from being universally available. The 2025 Kumbh in Prayagraj comes at a drastically different time, with 5G connectivity expanded to practically every district in India, building up to what will likely be an event with the most tele-density in human history.

The Maha Kumbh is consistently ranked as the largest religious gathering in the world, and this year will be no exception, with the Uttar Pradesh government saying it is preparing for 40 crore devotees over a 44-day period, averaging out to almost 1 crore devotees per day, though some days like Makar Sankranti will likely see a spike that is multiples of that number.

While the State government is accustomed to most arrangements that such a large gathering requires, this year the Union government and telecom operators are facing a unique challenge — millions of people gathered at a single spot, with sometimes over half a dozen people in a single square metre area, and many trying to use the Internet during the pilgrimage.

The last time pilgrims thronged the Maha Kumbh Mela in 2013, 4G had been deployed by Indian telecom operators for just about a year and was far from being universally available. The 2025 Kumbh in Prayagraj comes at a drastically different time, with 5G connectivity expanded to practically every district in India, building up to what will likely be an event with the most tele-density in human history.

The Maha Kumbh is consistently ranked as the largest religious gathering in the world, and this year will be no exception, with the Uttar Pradesh government saying it is preparing for 40 crore devotees over a 44-day period, averaging out to almost 1 crore devotees per day, though some days like Makar Sankranti will likely see a spike that is multiples of that number.

While the State government is accustomed to most arrangements that such a large gathering requires, this year the Union government and telecom operators are facing a unique challenge — millions of people gathered at a single spot, with sometimes over half a dozen people in a single square metre area, and many trying to use the Internet during the pilgrimage.

Telcos “have been instructed to deploy advanced technology and optimise networks to support the massive influx of people expected to attend the world’s largest religious gathering”, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) said in a statement.

“We have to design the system for the peak capacity,” Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw told The Hindu in an interview on Wednesday.

“We did this during Ram Janmabhoomi,” Vaishnaw said, referring to the consecration of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya last January. There was also the experience of preparing for the G-20 Summit, he said, adding that the Mela was, however, “a much bigger challenge”.

“Over a hundred kilometres of extra optical fibre has been laid,” Vaishnaw said, adding that “each tower will have higher configuration of radios”, ensuring that the maximum capacity of data that can be served in a given area is saturated.

“To cater to the massive demand, 78 cells on wheels (transportable towers) and 150 outdoor small cell solutions are being deployed, ensuring smooth communication in crowded zones,” the DoT said in a note.

No telecom service has ever been tested for the density levels expected in the Mela and the laws of physics and the reality of electromagnetic spectrum may mean that even if 5G coverage is widely available, networks may be too congested for pilgrims to have a smooth data experience all of time.

While everyone in a particular spot may not be able to do video calls at the same time for this reason, telecom operators have set up “disaster management centres” in order to facilitate emergency communications, in close coordination with local authorities.

“This will become a template for the world,” Vaishnaw said. The Hindu