In recent years, Indian telecom sector started experiencing cascaded impact on multiple fronts. Once, FDI investment darling experienced lowest FDI investment inflows in the last 2 years period. The constant amendment of regulation and non- correlated action initiated by both Telecom, Finance and Defence ministry helped growing doubt about government intention to offer single window clearance to International and domestic investor to invest across sectors. For post readers, the first opinion about me that I am critic of government but that’s not the fact. The issues related to ILD, roaming, MNP, MVAS, taxation of Vodafone, Idea,2G scam, 3G roaming agreement, voice service enablement for BWA license holders post auctioning license are few examples of lack of vision and wrong assessment of ground reality. Simple query pops up about recent additional tax demand from Vodafone, Bharti, Rcom and other Telco after 3 financial years. I don’t think that our finance ministry so incapable of not identifying the discrepancies on the fly. Recent penalty on Bharti for services which got discontinued 5 years back demonstrate that service provider must be open to get notice on any aspect any time from associated ministries. The operators collaborated on 3G roaming and I strongly believe that all the service providers are not stupid and incapable of identifying the positive and negative implications. The DoT notice and subsequently court orders for Bharti to pay 350 Cr as penalty only justifies that the communications in the form of consultation or any other form are grossly under rated. The immediate reaction of Telco industry was even more negative for investor as well government by demanding re-auction of 3G license based on the current and future policies projection or refund paid amount back to service provider. In a scenario when government is offloading their stake of Navratana PSU’s to control Fiscal deficit in order to delay another credit downgrade from rating firm. It is unfortunate to read news article that any scam investigation take the everything decade back and that got validated by Summoning the architect of Indian Telecom sector Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal and Mr. Ruia. Being citizen of great India, my query to government is simple – Why investigating agencies woke up after 10 years. On the contrary, the parliamentary investigation panel, JPC chairman is willing to take the final decision without calling the prime suspect of 2G scam. Do we believe that India growing campaign will carry relevance when the reality is different? Recently, respected Finance Minister travelled to different geographies to attract FDI and also claimed seamless regulatory / Policy implementation. Today we are at 4.8% GDP growth and government is projecting 6.5% in coming few quarters. I am rest assured based on my analysis that it would even go down in current scenario. In my point of view, government inter departmental minister must discuss in GoM about their weakness rather than putting the onus on Industry.
Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Mr, Ruia and many other industrialists are brand of India and International investor invests on the basis of their commitment not on the basis of Manrega or Food security. Still it’s not late; all of us must try on individual or collective level to increase India Brand which got dented badly due to policy paralysis in the recent past.
