Is India planning to restrict Chinese mobile phone-makers? Looks unlikely
It was some fancy kite-flying

Just the other day, there was a bombshell of a report, which quoted unidentified government officials as saying that India was set to ban Chinese brands here from selling smartphones costing below Rs 12,000. There was a flurry of responses, not the least from Beijing. It said it will firmly support Chinese companies in defending their lawful interests and rights.
But apparently everybody seems to have jumped the gun. For, India does not seem to have any such plans.
"There is no such proposal under consideration at the ministry of electronics and information technology," a report in the Mint newspaper quoting an official said.
The report quoting the official who is said to be privy to the developments should assuage the taut nerves in the Chinese companies operating in India.
At a time when the smartphone market is going through a low, a government-imposed curb is the last they wanted. Also, many of Chinese smartphone brands (Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo) are already under scrutiny for alleged financial violations.
For the record, Chinese smartphone brands enjoy a 63% dominance of the Indian market, as per statistics available till the end of quarter ending in June. Chinese firms have 75-80% share in sub Rs 12,000 segment that contributes to 31% of overall smartphone market.
Further, India’s smartphone market saw the fourth straight sequential fall in shipments, declining to 37 million units in the June quarter, a 5% drop from the March quarter.
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Analysis: The report on ban seemed too fanciful
Without putting too fine a point on it, the report that the Indian government was contemplating to ban Chinese smartphone makers from selling devices cheaper than Rs 12,000 seemed too fanciful. It is not as if Indian government is incapable of bewildering decisions. India's relationship with China is also at its lowest ebb now.
But even after giving leeway for all this, India could not have gotten away with such a ban, which would also have caused enormous self damage. To be sure, India has banned a clutch of Chinese apps, including popular ones like TikTok and games like PubG. But with smartphones, the reality is different. These smartphone brands have manufacturing units here which employ thousands of locals here. Any curb on these companies would have had a deleterious effect on the future of the workers employed.
Also, a ban on phones priced Rs 12,000 is impractical to implement. Most phones, when they are manufactured are aimed broadly at the segment (budget, mid-range, premium, etc.) The minutiae of actual pricing is left to market realities and sales strategies. There are myriad ways to work around a government ban that is conceived just on a price point. These companies know them only too well. And no government will attempt a rule that would be bureaucratic nightmare to implement.
Also, the idea behind the ban was said to give a leg-up to Indian companies. But Indian brands, at least as of now, don't have a strong portfolio, distribution and after sales services mix, to make the most out of such a curb. Lava, Micromax, Karbonn and Intex are some of the local players in the market.
It is hoped that the whole plan was never thought up in the first place.

Over three decades as a journalist covering current affairs, politics, sports and now technology. Former Editor of News Today, writer of humour columns across publications and a hardcore cricket and cinema enthusiast. He writes about technology trends and suggest movies and shows to watch on OTT platforms.