Finland's Nokia is expected to receive a multi-year purchase order worth Rs 1,000 crore from state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for the provision of optical transport network (OTN) equipment and deployment via a local system integrator. According to a person with knowledge of the situation, financial bids for the BSNL contract have been opened, and the "advance purchase order (APO) will be issued to a successful bidder" in the coming days. Tejas Networks, a Tata Group firm, and United Telecoms Limited (UTL), a domestic gear provider, were among the other bidders for the deal.

The contract is for the complete supply, installation, and commissioning of OTN under the Phase-4 project for BSNL throughout all of India. The agreement includes comprehensive annual maintenance (AMC) for eight years and three years of operation and maintenance (O&M) services. According to the sources, HFCL, a domestic manufacturer of telecom equipment, won the Nokia proposal to serve as the systems integrator. However, the indigenous manufacturers of telecom equipment in India have objected to the idea through an industry association. The industry group has also written to Ashwini Vaishnaw, the minister of communication.

"This is a very unfortunate situation and discourages Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India). BSNL has disqualified United Telecoms Limited (UTL) and Tejas Networks on shoddy grounds as well as tweaked the original terms and conditions to suit foreign companies," Rakesh Kumar Bhatnagar, director general, Voice of Indian Communication Technology Enterprises (Voice).