Our first release in the series looked at the initiative to add NavIC support to mobile devices in the Indian domestic market. Today’s post briefly covers Indian regulatory requirements for mobile devices made in India. (Find the first piece here)
The Indian government seeks to add a layer of control to the apps and base functions delivered by operating system software and core services. In addition to the stated reason for removing mandatory apps (that cannot be removed by normal users), this would require vendors to submit each software release (at a cost) to be tested by an Indian government laboratory. Currently, the time to screen software and hardware in the licensing process is 21 weeks.
It is asserted by manufacturers who have met with the Indian Government (Apple, Xiaomi, Vivo, and Samsung) that these proposed additional requirements would slow down the distribution of changes into the Indian market and raise costs for Indian-specific units. A likely fear of all the manufacturers (Android-derived, Apple iOS, and others) is that the Indian government would just as likely mandate certain complex features to be ‘required’ on the home screens of each smart device – a substantial economic ‘gimme’ when such space is some of the most expensive space on earth.
Supports for government service access portals, payment features, and a government approved web-browser (not necessarily Chrome, Safari, or another international build) are foreseeable apps. Optional installation and activation of features like Apple Store, Google Play and Google Apps, Xiaomi GetApps, and Samsung Pay seem to be likely candidates for regulatory actions.
Along with the proposed push for an Indian OS, these Government actions would likely have the effect of slowing down the incredibly competitive push between existing smartphone/smart device manufacturers and possibly use the inertia and bureaucracy of the Indian Government to enable development and time-to-market of an Indian OS to become more practical. Whether this process is in the best interests of Indian consumers (particularly a slowdown in identity security and malware countermeasures) will be seen as this dialogue between the Government and manufacturers continues.
The first two posts considered Made In India initiatives. The next post will focus on Made In India related topics.
You can find other posts on the unique challenges and opportunities for Dynamic India at www.ekalore.com/india-business
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