Department of Telecom Simplifies Licensing for Innovation

On 9th September 2024, the Department of Telecom announced streamlined procedures for issuing experimental, demonstration, and equipment-type approvals to foster innovation and ease regulatory burdens for businesses.

The new measures are based on recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) aimed at enhancing ease of doing business in the telecom sector.
Experimental licenses that do not require Inter-Ministerial Consultation will be deemed issued after 30 days if no decision is made within that period.
For cases requiring Inter-Ministerial Consultation, the Department of Telecom (DoT) will request comments within seven days of receiving a complete application.
If no comments are received, a provisional license will be granted after 60 days, converting to a regular license after 90 days if no adverse comments arise.
Demonstration licenses, if not requiring Inter-Ministerial Consultation, will be deemed granted after 15 days, and after 45 days for those requiring consultation.
Equipment Type Approvals (ETA) for license-exempt wireless devices will now be granted based on self-declaration, simplifying the process for businesses.