(a) whether the Government has extended the permit period to sell or use international SIM cards from one year to three years;
(b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
(c) the number of telecom companies issuing/selling international SIM cards in the country?
THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)
(a) Yes Madam. The Department of Telecom (DoT) issues the No objection Certificate (NOC) to the companies, who apply for sell/rent of international calling card/SIM cards in India. The period of validity of validity of this NOC has been extended to three years from one year earlier.
(b) The period of validity of NOC was increased from one year to three years to minimize frequent interface with the stakeholder/companies.
(c) As on date 40 (Forty) companies are holding valid NOC to sell/rent international calling card/SIM cards in India.