IT & Telecom

India to Loosen Restrictions on FDI into Broadcasting Services

Dec. 22 – The Government of India is planning to propose a hike in the maximum foreign direct investment (FDI) capital allowed in broadcasting services - such as direct-to-home (DTH) and cable TV – to a uniform portion of 74 percent.

The Finance Ministry has given its consent to a draft cabinet note which outlines the changes circulated by the Industry Ministry. In addition to DTH and cable TV, the initiative also aims to set FDI capital limit at 74 percent for mobile TV, an area of future growth. Continue reading →

Posted in FDI and Foreign Trade, IT & Telecom, Legal and Regulatory, Regulatory Update | Tagged India Broadcastng Services, India Cable TV, India Direct-to-home, India Foreign Direct Investment, India Head-end in the Sky, India Mobile TV | Leave a comment

India Briefing Now Accessible in Mobile App

Free app brings India Briefing to your fingertips

Dec. 16 – The brand new Asia Briefing mobile application brings the latest business news and foreign investment insights from India Briefing web site right to your fingertips.

The free app integrates with legal and tax regulatory updates from Dezan Shira & Associates, along with China, Vietnam, Russia, Mongolia Briefings, and 2point6billon.com (for emerging Asia). With hourly updates, it helps you stay on top of Asia’s dynamic investment environments. Continue reading →

Posted in IT & Telecom | Tagged Asia Briefing Mobile App, India Briefing Android, India Briefing Blackberry, India Briefing iPad, India Briefing iPhone | Leave a comment

Highlights of the Drafted Telecom Policy

Oct. 13 – The Communication Ministry of India unveiled the new Telecom Policy which contains new rules for the industry. The revised rules, which will substitute the existing framework that has been in place since 1999, aims to have broadband on demand for all citizens.

According to the new policy, revenue generation will play an inferior role and the major objective is to increase rural teledensity to 100 percent by 2020. The new policy will de-link licenses from spectrum and the term of mobile permits would be divided to 10 years when they come up for renewal. The policy aims to make 300 MHz of spectrum available by 2017 and another 200 MHz by 2020. Continue reading →

Posted in Business, IT & Telecom, Legal and Regulatory | Tagged India Policy, India Telecom, Ministry of Communications | Leave a comment

Indian IT Companies Don’t Agree on Outsourcing Demand in 2011

Feb. 21 – Indian information technology (IT) firms have split expectations on the outlook of IT outsourcing demand in 2011, with the top three IT companies believing their revenue will keep going up and others thinking the opposite, a recent report on the Wall Street Journal said.

After a prosperous 2010, the big three Indian IT companies – Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Wipro Technologies and Infosys – remain optimistic regarding their expected performance in the new year. N. Chandrasekaran, chief executive of TCS, India’s largest software exporter by revenue, said that he expects a greater demand for IT outsourcing services in 2011. Continue reading →

Posted in FDI and Foreign Trade, IT & Telecom | 1 Comment

New Incentives Available for Outsourcing Companies in Rural Areas

Aug. 25 – A rural business process outsourcing (BPO) policy was announced last Wednesday by the Tamil Nadu government that would give economic incentives for BPOs opening in rural areas.

“Tamil Nadu being a major Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Hub and with the ICT industry now expanding to Tier II, Tier III cities, and towns and indeed into villages in Tamil Nadu, it is indispensable to have a comprehensive Rural BPO policy to increase employment in the rural areas of state,” the government said in a statement. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy and Politics, FDI and Foreign Trade, Finance, Tax and Accounting, IT & Telecom, Location | Leave a comment

Income Tax Return Deadline Extended

Aug. 2 – India’s Central Board of Direct Taxes announced it would extend income tax return filing from July 31 to August 4.

All returns, whether done electronically or not, as long as it is given on or before August 4 will be considered on time. The extension was announced after reports that the e-filing computer system encountered technical difficulties and stormy weather prevented some taxpayers from filing their returns. Continue reading →

Posted in Automotive, Finance, Tax and Accounting, IT & Telecom, Legal and Regulatory, Location, Retail | Leave a comment

India to Release Paper for Digital Broadcast Switch

Aug. 2 – The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is slated to release its final consultation paper on the country’s plan to change from analog to digital broadcast signals by December 2013 next week.

“All the industry players have welcomed the regulation by TRAI on digitalization and we are expecting to release the final consultation paper on the same by next week,” TRAI Chairman J. S. Sarma said during a Confederation of Indian Industry conference last Friday. Continue reading →

Posted in Economy and Politics, FDI and Foreign Trade, IT & Telecom, Legal and Regulatory | Leave a comment

India Revises Telecom License Rules

Jul. 30 – The Directorate of Telecommunications has made changes to the the unified access service license (UASL), reflecting heightened security concerns.

Equipment suppliers must now disclose business details and allow their manufacturing facility to be inspected. Moreover, they are obliged to reveal design, development and supply chain details as well as allow hardware and software inspections when the equipment is procured. Continue reading →

Posted in FDI and Foreign Trade, IT & Telecom, Legal and Regulatory, Location | 1 Comment