No, Chinese phones under Rs 12k are not being banned in India. Govt does not want to do it (as of now)
Indian government is not banning Chinese phones under 12k. Photo: Getty Images
For those with a small budget for buying smartphones, Vivo, Oppo, RealMe and several other largely Chinese mobile brands offer attractive options. So, when reports said that the Indian government was planning on banning Chinese phones costing below Rs 12,000 came out, several people were concerned.
So, is it true?
NO.
The IT Ministry issued a clarification on August 29, 2022, saying that no such decision has been taken, nor is there any such proposal.
On being asked about reports of govt ban on Chinese phones under Rs 12,000, MoS R Chandrasekhar said, "There's no such proposal. It's govt's obligation & duty to build Indian brands. If due to unfair trade practices, there's exclusion of Indian brands, we'll intervene & resolve." pic.twitter.com/MAxglWYnJw
— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2022
Rajeev Chandrashekhar, MoS for Electronics and Information Technology, clarified about the issue during a press conference. He also assured that if they find any unfair trade practices resulting in a blow to Indian brands, the government will intervene.
He also said that the government is trying to get foreign brands to make India the global base and export from the country.
We are asking foreign brands to choose India as a global base and export from here. PM's vision is of a robust, vibrant & innovative electronics ecosystem consisting of foreign majors & viable Indian brands: Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State, E & IT pic.twitter.com/LXHRL4vLyN
— ANI (@ANI) August 29, 2022
The Government of India is planning to reach $300 billion in electronic production and exports of $120 billion by 2025-26. Currently, the production value is estimated at $76 billion.
Indian alternative brands like Micromax and Lava have not been able to make an impact in the market so far. In Q2 2022 smartphone market, Xiaomi enjoys dominance, followed by RealMe and Vivo.
Following the news of India reportedly banning Chinese phones, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reacted with a statement that read: “We urge the Indian side to earnestly fulfill its commitment to openness and cooperation and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory investment and business environment for Chinese companies. China will firmly support Chinese companies in defending their lawful interests and rights."
Chinese phone makers like Xiaomi, Vivo and others are already under the scanner of the government for alleged financial irregularities and tax evasion.