India will not allow the import of power equipment from China & Pakistan, power minister R K Singh announced Friday morning, citing recent transgression in border areas and cybersecurity threats. Imports from other nations will need permissions.
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“Today we manufacture everything that is required for power generation, transmission, and distribution. In 2018-1, we imported Rs 71,000 power equipment of which Rs 21,000 crore are Chinese. We cannot tolerate this that you have a country which transgresses into our country and yet we create jobs in that country when we have the ability to manufacture it (equipment) ourselves. We have decided not to buy from prior-reference countries.
Security Threats
Singh said that the electricity grid was vulnerable to attacks. “Power system is vulnerable to malware attacks, which can shut down our communications, database, and defence systems. That is why all imports need to be inspected and few countries need to be banned."
An executive order moved by the White House in May blocked and mitigated transactions involving bulk-power system electric equipment manufactured or supplied by a “foreign adversary”.
Which equipments are banned?
Power supply equipment includes products used in transmission and distribution infrastructure of power, such as transmission towers, transformers, cables, meters, and motors. Some of them can be remotely monitored and operated.
Singh also asked his state-level counterparts to stop any procurement orders from China for power distribution companies under their control. A constant concern with such imported equipment -- highly advanced electronics goods, in particular -- is that they may contain software which could be weaponised by enemy actors.
What does the order say?
The Ministry of Power has passed the orders to block the imports. In an order dated July 2, the ministry made the import of equipment from PRC countries will "require prior permission of the Government of India".Even if such imports are allowed in special cases, officials say, the order also mandates that all such gear will be tested in India to weed out any embedded cyber threats. "The protocol for testing in certified and designated laboratories shall be approved by the Ministry of Power," it added.