India’s telecom body has said that IMEI registration is not required for phones being exported. As per reports, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is reworking the International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI rules which is why it has said that manufacturers are not required to register the numbers.
The details of this order were released by the Department of Telecom on its website a few days ago.
As you may know, IMEI is a 15-digit code that is used to identify devices operating on a network. IMEI cloning has been an issue for the country’s telecom body for a few years now and it has now started working to prevent such incidents.
IMEI number has been made mandatory for every phone manufactured in the country, but the latest order mentions that it is not required if the phones are being exported, at least for now.
From January 1, 2023, all mobile phone manufacturers are required to register the IMEI number of each handset manufactured in India. India With Indian Counterfeit Devices Ban Portal (https://icdr.ceir.gov.in) before the first sale of newly launched mobile phones.
The new rule aims to ensure that all mobile phones sold in India have a valid IMEI number that can be tracked digitally. For citizens, the new process will help users block their smartphones or feature phones if they are lost or stolen so that they cannot be misused. This is also expected to curb the black marketing of smartphones in India. These steps are important in many ways, and also prevent cloning of devices, which can be misused by wrongdoers.
And while exported phones are not required to register IMEI numbers, imported smartphones, and not just Made-in-India phones, such as top-end iPhones, and Samsung Galaxy smartphones must also be registered.
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