Huawei to collaborate with Indian firms for 5G tech: India CEO

Huawei is planning to partner with Indian companies to develop 5G equipment in India after the Indian government declined the participation of Chinese firms in 5G trials, which are about to begin in India.

In an interview with Economic Times, Huawei India Head David Li stated that Huawei is open to join hands with Indian firms to develop and manufacture 5G equipment in India and also willing to transfer the software and hardware into India for the local partner to develop 5G equipment. The CEO didn’t reveal any further details regarding the collaboration.

David Li also requested the Indian government to address the uncertainty regarding Huawei’s participation in the 5G trials and urged the government to consider the 20 years of “clean” account of Huawei in India.

Huawei faced allegations of sharing critical information with the Chinese state. The Chinese tech giant faced bans from many countries, which has affected the company’s business. Amidst the tension at the China border, the Indian government barred the participation of Chinese firms in the upcoming 5G trials and also requested the Indian telecommunication firms to stop using Chinese tech, citing national security.

Some reports suggest that the Indian government is preparing a list of trusted and untrusted sources to purchase telecom equipment and it is believed that this list aims to ban the involvement of Chinese firms in India’s 5G deployment.

David Li stated that Huawei is far from any wrongdoings and he hopes that the Indian government gives the tech firm a “level playing field” for participating in the 5G trials. He also stated that the telecom companies should be given the right to select the best technologies for their purpose, which will ultimately benefit both the company and customers.

The report also mentioned that Huawei is willing to continue investing in R&D in India. Huawei has a research and development center in Bengaluru, that received an investment of $170 million from the firm. Earlier, Huawei’s Asia Pacific VP Jay Chen also stated that Huawei is interested in contributing to the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) by the Indian government by manufacturing 5G equipment in India.

A few days back, Huawei grabbed a contract with Bharti Airtel. Vodafone Idea(VI) has also allied with Huawei.

Huawei’s smartphone business is going down because of the Google ban. This seems to be a desperate attempt by the Chinese firm to remain in business in India by collaborating with local companies. However, the firm has to wait for the Indian government’s list of trusted telecom equipment suppliers. The Indian Wire