In a significant move to enhance ease of doing business and reduce the compliance burden on the telecom and ICT sectors, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced a sharp reduction of up to 95% in the security test evaluation fees for telecom and ICT products. Effective from August 01, 2025, this revised fee structure under the Communication Security Certification Scheme (ComSec) is aimed at making the security certification process more affordable for domestic manufacturers especially MSMEs.

The security test evaluation fees, previously ranging from ₹2,00,000 to ₹3,50,000 depending on the equipment category, have now been drastically reduced. Under the revised structure, fees for Group A equipment drop to ₹10,000 from ₹200,000, Group B to ₹20,000 from ₹200,000, Group C to ₹30,000 from ₹250,000, and Group D to ₹50,000 from ₹350,000. This will significantly reduce the financial strain on telecom/ICT product manufacturers, including domestic players.

For Government R&D institutes, such as CDOT and CDAC, all security test evaluation fees are fully exempted for applications submitted for product certification until March 31, 2028, as part of a wider effort to encourage innovation in public sector research.

The DoT has also simplified the security testing and compliance process for Highly Specialized Equipment (HSE) and End-of-Sale/End-of-Life telecom products.

Currently, products like IP Routers, Wi-Fi CPEs, and 5G Core SMF are under mandatory security testing, while Optical Line Terminals and Optical Networking Terminals are subject to voluntary security certification, with fee exemptions applicable until August 31, 2025.

The applicants can pay the fees online through MTCTE portal (https://mtcte.tec.gov.in). 

The National Centre for Communication Security (NCCS), under DoT, has been mandated to implement security testing and certification under this scheme. As per the updated framework, OEMs, importers, and dealers who wish to sell, import, or use telecom equipment in India must ensure their products undergo security testing and certification under the ComSec scheme.

For security testing and certification of telecom/ICT equipment under ComSec scheme, OEMs/Importers/Dealers are charged with security test evaluation fee. This fee varies based on the group of telecom/ICT equipment which have been categorised into A, B, C and D based on the time and complexity involved in testing the equipment or evaluating test reports. The list of telecom/ICT equipment includes Routers, Mobile Core equipment, Base stations, Satellite Communication Equipment, Transport Equipment, Customer Premises Equipment, SIM cards etc.  

This scheme falls under the broader Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) framework, first notified in September 2017 and subsequently superseded by the Telecommunications (Framework to Notify Standards, Conformity Assessment, and Certification) Rules, 2025.

This fee reduction is expected to bolster the competitiveness of Indian telecom manufacturers, stimulate local innovation, and provide a more straightforward pathway to market entry for both domestic and international Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). This is in line with the government's objective to make India a hub for telecom security testing and certification. By aligning the testing requirements with international security standards, the DoT is working toward ensuring the long-term security and integrity of the nation's telecom infrastructure.

 

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Samrat/ Allen

 

(Release ID: 2152187)