Mobile handset firms including Samsung, Micromax, Oppo, Honor and Karbonn represented by The Mobile Association (TMA) Monday has sought extension of the mandatory device testing deadline, and believe that any hasty implementation would impact sales in upcoming Diwali season and would have impact on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious Make in India program.

In September 2017, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has set a deadline of October 1, 2018 for the mandatory equipment testing from any authorised agency.

Bhawna Kumari, President, The Mobile Association (TMA) said "Lack of infrastructure, limited test labs, final portal not ready and absence of single window for certification has forced mobile brands to seek an extension".

She also said that a hurried roll-out of the new TEC MTCTE regime will affect sales during the upcoming 2018 festive season and will also have an adverse impact on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India Phased Manufacturing Program (PMP) for mobile devices.

In a letter to DoT, 70 top mobile brands under the TMA banner have urged the Ministry of Communications to extend the deadline set for beginning the process, at least by one year,” the group in a statement said, adding that there were many issues that would hamper smooth roll-out of the proposed Telecom Engineering Centre (TEC) Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) regime for mobile phones.

The handset companies that are opposing the move and wanted to postpone mandory testing include Samsung, Micromax, Oppo, Honor, Karbonn, Celkon, One Plus, Flextronics, Infocus, Techno, iTel, Coolpad, Comio and HiTech among others.

Kumari believes that there were not enough test laboratories for certifying devices against the SAR, EMI/EMC, security and other technical requirements.

The TEC portal for applicants, according to her, is also not ready.

“Most importantly, absence of a single window clearance for certification has forced mobile brands to seek extension," Kumari added.

Shakeel Ahmad, Deputy Director General of the Telecommunications Engineering Centre (TEC), however, earlier said that the scheme would kick-off from October 1 for only few simple devices for which the agency has released essential requirements at the early stage.