Lok Sabha Question No. 2910 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-06
Subject: National Cyber Security Coordinator
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Ms Sayani Ghosh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2910 ANSWERED ON 6 TH  AUGUST, 2025

## NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY COORDINATOR

## 2910.   MS SAYANI GHOSH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  recent  findings  by  the  National  Cyber  Security Coordinator (NCSC) regarding the presence of chipsets of Chinese origin in certain mobile SIM cards and if so, the number of such cases identified and the telecom operators or vendors involved;
- (b) whether the Government is considering a nationwide replacement of older SIM cards due to potential national security risks and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has identified the techno-legal and financial implications of such a replacement exercise for telecom operators and consumers and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to strengthen the trusted sourcing and continuous auditing of telecom components including SIM cards, to prevent unauthorised or unapproved imports; and,
- (e) whether the Government is considering utilising the eSIM (embedded SIM) in order to avoid cybersecurity threats and reliance on Chinese imports and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

- (a) It has been informed by NSCS that the issue raised in question mentioning 'National Cyber Security Coordinator" pertains to the implementation of the National Security Directive for Telecom Sector (NSDTS) issued by NSCS is implemented based on evaluations from security agencies by the National Security Committee on Telecom (NSCT) chaired by Deputy NSA. The inputs, deliberations and the basis for the conclusions are classified as secret and have national security implications.
- (b) Currently, no nationwide replacement of older SIM cards is being considered.
- (c) In view of reply to part (b), the question does not arise.
- (d) Steps taken by the Government to strengthen trusted sourcing and continuous auditing of telecom components to prevent unauthorized or unapproved imports are as follows:

- i. The National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector (NSDTS) was approved by the Union Cabinet on December 16, 2020. It mandates that all the Telecommunication entities in India must procure and deploy only 'trusted products' sourced from 'trusted vendors' to safeguard national security. The Department  of  Telecommunications  launched  the Trusted  Telecom  Portal (trustedtelecom.gov.in) to facilitate compliance.
- ii. The Government has amended various License Agreements, including the Unified License  (UL),  UL  (VNO),  Unified  Access  Service  License,  and  Standalone Licenses,  to  incorporate  a  specific  condition  related  to  the  procurement  and installation of Telecommunication Equipment by licensees in their networks. This condition mandates that, with effect from 15.06.2021 , licensees are permitted to connect only Trusted Products -as notified by the Designated Authority (i.e., the National Cyber Security Coordinator) on the Trusted Telecom Portal -in their networks.  Licensees  must  also  obtain  prior  permission  from  the  Designated Authority for any upgradation or expansion of existing networks using Telecommunication Equipment not designated as Trusted Products. Further, to ensure compliance with the above provisions, all licensees are required to submit a half-yearly  compliance  report through  the Saral  Sanchar  Portal on 1st January and 1st July of each year. In addition, audits of telecom entities are conducted by the Licensed Service Area (LSA) field units of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to ensure adherence to the prescribed guidelines.
- iii. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued Indian Telecommunication Security Assurance Requirements (ITSAR)-a  set of baseline  security  requirements  for  telecom  equipment  to  ensure  a  secure  and trusted communication  infrastructure-which  cover  all Pluggable (U)ICC, including SIM, USIM, and other (U)ICC-based applications/applets. Additionally, SIM  cards are covered under the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE)-a scheme that mandates telecom equipment  be  tested  and  certified  to  ensure  compliance  with  Indian  technical standards.  Furthermore,  in  2021,  DoT  has  also  issued  a  Standard  Operating Procedure (SOP) specifically for SIM personalization to ensure trusted sourcing and continuous auditing of telecom components.

(e) The  Department  of  Telecommunications  (DoT)  has  released  Indian  Telecommunication Security Assurance Requirements (ITSAR) for eSIM, and it is also covered under the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE). The SOP for eSIM personalization is currently under process.

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