ReutersEuropean majors Ericsson and Nokia along with US-based Cisco and home-bred Tejas are among the first set of telecom equipment vendors to have received trusted sources approval from the National Cyber Security Coordinator (NCSC) even as China's Huawei and ZTE continue to wait.
Tejas Networks, which was recently acquired by Tata Sons arm Panatone Finvest, is the only domestic vendor to have received the approval so far, people familiar with the matter said.
Industrial IoT (Internet of Things) solutions provider Proscend, France-based identity-related security services provider IDEMIA, PC Solutions and Dori Software have also received trusted sources approval.
However, telecom operators still can't place purchase orders with these vendors as the approval for 'trusted product' for telecom equipment is still to be given by the NCSC.
"This is a first step in the process but for now it doesn't mean much since companies with trusted sources approval can still get their equipment rejected if the authority is unsatisfied," the person said. "The first list of trusted products is expected between November-end and mid-December period."
National Cyber Security Coordinator Lt General (retd) Rajesh Pant confirmed the development to ET and said that the National Security Committee on Telecom meets on a monthly basis and decides on the grant of Trusted Sources and Trusted Products approval.
"Details of these are intimated to the telcos who had submitted their requirements on the portal. This process has commenced with effect from October 21 and the system is working as desired by the Cabinet decision," he added.
A second person said Huawei is in the process of meeting obligations under the process to get the trusted sources approval. "Huawei has still not completed the documentation process."
Queries sent to Ericsson, Nokia, Tejas, Cisco, Huawei and ZTE didn't elicit any response.
Tejas Networks, which was recently acquired by Tata Sons arm Panatone Finvest, is the only domestic vendor to have received the approval so far, people familiar with the matter said.
Industrial IoT (Internet of Things) solutions provider Proscend, France-based identity-related security services provider IDEMIA, PC Solutions and Dori Software have also received trusted sources approval.
However, telecom operators still can't place purchase orders with these vendors as the approval for 'trusted product' for telecom equipment is still to be given by the NCSC.
"This is a first step in the process but for now it doesn't mean much since companies with trusted sources approval can still get their equipment rejected if the authority is unsatisfied," the person said. "The first list of trusted products is expected between November-end and mid-December period."
National Cyber Security Coordinator Lt General (retd) Rajesh Pant confirmed the development to ET and said that the National Security Committee on Telecom meets on a monthly basis and decides on the grant of Trusted Sources and Trusted Products approval.
"Details of these are intimated to the telcos who had submitted their requirements on the portal. This process has commenced with effect from October 21 and the system is working as desired by the Cabinet decision," he added.
A second person said Huawei is in the process of meeting obligations under the process to get the trusted sources approval. "Huawei has still not completed the documentation process."
Queries sent to Ericsson, Nokia, Tejas, Cisco, Huawei and ZTE didn't elicit any response.
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