back to article India gets paranoid about foreign tech

India’s national security paranoia reached new levels this week as reports emerged that all foreign vendors have been banned from supplying networking kit for its national broadband project, while the government wants to produce its own chips for use in sensitive installations. The government has previously decided not to …

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  1. Aitor 1

    Not about security

    It is about protectionism.

    They did something similar with tyres... Indian manufacturers where (are) still making non radial tyres... so they banned for some time chinese (radial) tyres by using taxes...

    1. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge

      Re: Not about security

      +1

      The tire thing was also done by the US btw, at the behest of local tire manufacturers and trade unions. Just wrap it into a "we need to keep people safe" package, instant sell.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not about security

      And I hope we're all not mixing radial and crossply a la 1970s public safety warnings! screech... bang...

    3. Gonzo_the_Geek
      Thumb Up

      Re: Not about security

      Absolutely correct.

      We provide support for a carrier grade product adopted by a large telco in India, and we are not allowed to have remote access to the systems we're supposed to be supporting. We have to go through a local (very, very useless) "integrator" who is clueless and adds major delays and hassle to even the most simple tasks. All in the name of security apparently.

      Protectionism pure and simple.

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not about security

      That article made me smile. Looks like the US Ministry of Propaganda and Protectionism has scored an epic own-goal with their latest FUD slinging!

      Go for it New Delhi!

      ...and methinks if they used open designs and standards, they might even pick up some like-minded punters around the globe and offset the production costs a bit!

  2. sabba
    WTF?

    Half the country's populace lives in abject poverty...

    ...but the government can spend billions developing its own chip-making facilities to protect its network infrastructure (and even more billions on 'defence').

    Glad to see that their priorities are not skewed. And before anyone comments on the Western economies having similarly distorted priorities - I am not sure we have similar levels of poverty.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      WTF?

      Re: Half the country's populace lives in abject poverty...

      and the other half spends their Sunday afternoons phoning me and trying to sell me stuff I don't want.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Half the country's populace lives in abject poverty...

        "and the other half spends their Sunday afternoons phoning me and trying to sell me stuff I don't want."

        Obviously you haven't worked hard enough at wasting their time. I now look forward to these calls, which sadly have dropped off since the "You phoning about the dog?" plan was formulated and launched.

        1. David Neil

          Re: Half the country's populace lives in abject poverty...

          I tend to favour the "So, are you single?" approach - you get a much better level of swearing

      2. jayeola

        Re: Half the country's populace lives in abject poverty...

        Wow! That's harsh.

    2. Flywheel

      Re: Half the country's populace lives in abject poverty...

      That's why the UK taxpayer still gives them aid: their Government spends all their money on hi-tech projects, while Britain looks after the poor/ordinary people.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    HDI index neatly sandwiched between Congo and Iraq.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_Human_Development_Index#Medium_human_development

    The wannabe Lance Armstrong of the IT world.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Internal HDI varies a lot between 0.36 -0.38 (like Ethiopia/Zimbabwe) - Chattisgarh / Bihar / Madhya Pradesh Uttar Pradesh,

      to 0.75/0.79 (like Russia / Croatia) - Delhi / Kerala.

      But a big gap between the top two areas Delhi / Kerala and the next areas Hichmal Pradesh, Goa, Punjab (0.65-0.6 like Mongolia / Tajikistan)

      Overall HDIs

      Angola 0.486 India 0.547 China 0.687 Russia 0.755 UK 0.863 USA 0.910 Australia 0.929 Norway 0.943

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Moscow 0.964 St Petersburg 0.904 Beijing 0.834 "posh" London 0.96......

    Blaenau Gwent 0.786 ;)

    http://www.city-data.com/forum/united-kingdom/1142702-human-development-uk.html

    1. Ben Holmes
      Thumb Up

      "CHAAAAMMPPPIIOOOOOONN! CHHHAAAMMMPPPIIIOOOOOOONN"

      </billbailey>

  5. JaitcH
    FAIL

    US House Intelligence Committee - Written by and for CISCO

    I wonder what India considers so secret? A few rustbucket diesel submarines and how to rape women and not get charged?

    If you have ever worked in India you will know plagiarism exists everywhere - even, maybe more so, in government offices. Offset copies of learned books flourish.

    Adopting the House Intelligence Committee is pretty pathetic, a very obvious ploy to circumvent World Trade Organisation rules, an effort led by the US government.

    Don't believe me - check out the long running battle with the US over forest products that Canada won time and time again whilst the US deployed every dirty trick in the book.

    So India's end run around the WTO doesn't benefit CISCO and likely Sai Systems, United Telecoms and ITI are simply knocking other companies designs.

    Just think, the UK STILL sends money to India, as a developing nation. Bloody stupid.

  6. Dare to Think
    IT Angle

    Inward investment still welcome, tho

    The bank and credit card services, health services, IT operations of telcos and infrastructure companies the west is offshoring to India is welcome, however, countertrade, i.e. India offshoring bank services to the UK and buying hardware designed by the west is forbidden....interesting

    Now in the long run, young aspiring engineers and other university graduates only finding work as a shelf stacker and plaster mixer? Well, holding that shovel gets them off the unemployment statistic. No prizes for quessing where the statistics application is hosted, who built it using inter company transfers, who wrote the software and who supports it.

    Who is the loser in the long run?

    I mean, as they said in the noughties: "we no can find qualified people 'ere".

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Inward investment still welcome, tho

      They were trying to make it illegal to use VPN for voice between Euro/US and India PBXes..... wanted everyone to phone at International rates inbound, like ;)

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Risky

    When vast numbers of corporations and members of the population rely on foreign companies outsourcing work to them for their livelihoods. Implementing any sort of bans on foreign kit could come back to bite them.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Meh

      Re: Risky

      Not at all. As a developing nation this is expected and tolerated. So there's a whole host of sectors (in fact, most sectors) where foreign companies are either explicitly banned, intentionally hindered through regulation, or simply held down by duties on imports.

      I used to work for a law firm, and neither we nor international competitors could get a look in to the Indian legal market. More recently I see Tesco et al have been told "clear off, you're not wanted here", and car imports had a 60% duty added for many years. None of this has hindered India's services growth very much that I can see.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Aid ? What Aid

    They did buy the Typhoons though. I guess they are partly manufactured in the UK. UK must stop donating peanuts. thats what the president said...

    http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-05/uk/31026669_1_british-aid-international-development-secretary-end-aid

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Aid ? What Aid

      "They did buy the Typhoons though"

      One of us hasn't been paying attention. The Eurofighter lost out to the Dassault Rafale this time last year, and despite some utterly pathetic hand wringing by David Cameron, plus a few German politicians, and to judge by everything I've seen India still seems to be sticking with Dassault.

      Given that India wanted a multrole comabt aircraft, it's no surprise that the Eurofighter lost out - it may be great for fly-boys at air shows, but it is expensive and ineffectual as a strike aircraft.

  9. zanto
    Thumb Up

    it ends in 2015

    British aid to india is due to end in 2015. Even now the amount is paltry and both the Indians and the British would prefer it to stop.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: it ends in 2015

      And still they haven't sorted their "wastewater" like we did, umm 120 years ago or something.

      1. zanto
        Stop

        Re: it ends in 2015

        120 years ago we set the standards for the Nazi's to emulate. Just check up on the Jalianwala Bagh massacare.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: it ends in 2015

          If anyone was "inspired" by it, 94 years ago in 1919, the message they got was "the person that panics and orders it onsite gets sacked", and "you will now start to lose your empire".

          What about the Golden Temple massacre ordered by the Indian Government in the same city 29 years ago in 1984, wasn't the UK's fault.... so it doesn't count? No "setting standards" there?

          Still not sure what this has got to do with a lack of plumbing. You suggesting the Brits ought to have got a move on with some pipes and diggers before 1947? Classic Godwin's?

          1. zanto
            WTF?

            Re: it ends in 2015

            13thApril1919 unarmed civilians including women and children treated like target practice and butchered till the British ammo almost ran out..

            1984 terrorists armed with machine guns and fortified, were flushed out from the Golden Temple.

            there's no reference to plumbing, but since you brought up history all smug like, i figured why not?

            1. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: it ends in 2015

              Like the "almost". And for terrorists, you can easily substitute "local Sikh separatists" being put down as a matter of official policy by their own government, for which Indira Gandhi got assassinated?

            2. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: it ends in 2015

              So what did happen to the plumbing, not a priority since 1947 to present? Better to spend it on astronauts or weapons? Or just shiny cars.

            3. Anonymous Coward
              Anonymous Coward

              Re: it ends in 2015

              So it's perfectly ok as long as it's the Indian Govt doing it, and no-one will compare them to Nazis, right? OK got that ;)

              Incidentally, surprising how many people from that direction seem to look up to Mr H, putting it on their Facebook profiles and so on as an inspirational character, don't seem to realise he was maybe a bad person in some way? I suppose it's an easy attitude to take if you didn't have to fend him off from your borders at close range.

  10. Andus McCoatover

    My God....

    I can't say more, too wounded by what I've read on the massacre. Take me a few days before I can post again.

    Did we british really do this? Beggars belief. If there's a person from India reading this, believe me, I'm truly, truly sorry.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: My God....

      In that case, you should read this

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blue_Star

      not the first time in that area and prob wont be the last.

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