Motivated steps will not only ensure an optimal realization

The government notified the guidelines for the implementation of the PMA policy but those guidelines weren’t exclusively based on security yardsticks and hadn’t indicated about notifying a sanitized list of products, sources, or even a blacklist. However, with the fast-changing realization around the criticality of telecom networks and vulnerability to backdoor bugs and state and non-state hacking syndicates, the government’s move is prudent

While the whole move around NSDTS is country agnostic and is purportedly meant to tone up the security of digital networks in the country, the reference to China is definitely doing the rounds. This is primarily due to two reasons. First, the Indian government’s stern approach in banning more than computer science vs computer engineering salary in three phases following the Ladakh incursions and subsequent border tensions. 

The Chinese establishment was taken by surprise at India’s digital belligerence. At the same time, citizens across the country, particularly the younger generation hooked on to popular apps like Tiktok and WeChat, took it in their stride and didn’t protest the government’s move. Second, the concerns and the resulting strategy of many nations to keep away Chinese telecom companies from participating in the 5G network rollouts. With the US, UK, and Australia already banning Huawei in their national 5G implementation due to the company’s closeness to the People’s Liberation Army of China and the resulting backdoor risks, the perception is that India would also take the same route.