There have not yet been any formal written bans on the use of equipment from Chinese suppliers such as Huawei and ZTE, and the Indian government has not made any public statements on the matter. However, industry officials and government officials say key ministries have made it clear to local telecom providers to avoid using Chinese equipment in future investment projects, including 5G.

“ They say openly now that the government is not going to authorize the use of Chinese equipment,” one of the top managers of the Indian telecommunications industry told the FT. – Now there is clarity. The game is really over. ” He added that India’s telecommunications department has already banned 5G testing with Chinese suppliers.

Huawei is one of the three largest telecom equipment suppliers in India, with the world’s second-largest mobile phone user base, with more than 850 million. The Chinese company has major contracts with local operators Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, and state telecommunications company BSNL.

New Delhi is unlikely to ever officially ban the use of equipment from Huawei or other Chinese suppliers, according to a government official, lest it provoke a violent reaction from Beijing. However, following the border conflict, the Narendra Modi government is very wary of Chinese investment in strategically important infrastructure.