'Indian Government should consider banning Chinese imports in telecom sector'

The Indian government should consider banning imports of equipment related to power generation and telecom from China, the Indian Electrical & Electronic Manufacturers' Association (IEEMA) said on Wednesday.

"Government should look into this issue of increasing Chinese electrical equipment imports. We would like the Chinese equipment not to come in the power and telecom sectors. It is detrimental to the interests of the country," Director General of IEEMA Sunil Misra told PTI.

Misra warned that the dependence on China for equipment belonging to these critical sectors may lead to a "dangerous" situation for India as their servicing and spare parts are unlikely to be available in case their is a conflict or economic standoff with China.

Heavy Industries Minister Praful Patel said recently in Parliament that cheaper Chinese imports in the heavy industries segment, including electrical equipment, have led to under-utilisation of the domestic capacity in the capital goods sector.

As per information received from Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) India, electrical equipment imports from China increased by 61.53 percent from 2009-10 to 2012-13, about twice the growth rate of such imports from the rest of the world.

Besides, IEEMA and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to promote collaboration on various initiatives on Wednesday.

The MoU will enhance sharing of knowledge and global experiences in key areas of electrical and electronics sectors in addition to strengthening competencies and skill development of organisations, working professionals and students.

It will also facilitate collaborative efforts among various stakeholders on emerging technologies including joint programmes for the benefit of engineering community.