The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has announced a significant reduction—up to 95%—in security test evaluation fees for telecom and ICT products under the ComSec scheme. This initiative aims to enhance ease of doing business, lower compliance costs, and especially support domestic manufacturers, including MSMEs.

Revised Security Test Evaluation Fee Structure:

• Group A Equipment: ₹10,000 (earlier ₹2,00,000)
• Group B Equipment: ₹20,000 (earlier ₹2,00,000)
• Group C Equipment: ₹30,000 (earlier ₹2,50,000)
• Group D Equipment: ₹50,000 (earlier ₹3,50,000)

Fee Exemptions:

• Government R&D institutes such as C-DOT and C-DAC – Full exemption on fees for applications submitted until March 31, 2028.
• Optical Line Terminals and Optical Networking Terminals – Voluntary security certification with fee exemptions until August 31, 2025.

Scope of Products: Includes routers, mobile core equipment, base stations, satellite communication equipment, transport equipment, customer premises equipment, SIM cards, and other telecom/ICT equipment.

Special Provisions:

• Simplified security testing and compliance process for Highly Specialized Equipment (HSE) and End-of-Sale/End-of-Life telecom products.
• Mandatory security testing currently applies to products such as IP routers, Wi-Fi CPEs, and 5G Core SMF.

Implementation & Process:

• Administered by the National Centre for Communication Security (NCCS) under DoT.
• OEMs, importers, and dealers selling, importing, or using telecom equipment in India must undergo security testing and certification under ComSec.
• Fees payable online via the MTCTE portal (https://mtcte.tec.gov.in).