India’s revenue intelligence unit holds up export of 27,000 Vivo phones over clashes with China- Technology News, Firstpost

FP StaffDec 07, 2022 09:21:08 IST

In a major setback to Vivo and the Chinese smartphone industry, Indian authorities have stopped Vivo from exporting over 27,000 smartphones for over a week. Vivo makes several of its smartphones at its Indian plants and then exports them to neighbouring markets, and to China.

Indian agencies have alleged that they shipment Vivo was trying to export is valued at $15 million, but Vivo, allegedly, grossly misrepresented and underreported the value of the shipment. Image Credit: Vivo

The smartphones have been held up at the New Delhi Airport by the Finance Ministry’s Revenue Intelligence Unit. The ministry has alleged inappropriate declaration of device models and their values. The shipment that was being exported is worth well over $15 million – however, Vivo is being accused of grossly underrepresenting the value of the shipment, says people who are close to the matter.

An industry lobby group called the government agency’s actions “unilateral and preposterous.”

“We request your kind and urgent intervention to stop this unfortunate course of action,” Pankaj Mohindroo, the chairman of India Cellular and Electronics Association, wrote in a Dec. 2 letter to the top bureaucrat in India’s tech ministry, which was reviewed by Bloomberg News.

“Such unwarranted actions by enforcement agencies will diffuse the drive and motivation to encourage electronics manufacturing and exports from India.”

Since 2020, tensions between India and China have had many clashes amid escalating border issues, especially around Galwan. Tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations have never been higher with the exception of the 1967’s Indo-Sino war. In retaliation, the Indian government has intensified scrutiny of Chinese companies operating in India including SAIC Motor Corp Ltd’s MG Motor India Pvt Ltd, and the local units of Xiaomi Corp. and ZTE Corp. This has resulted in several raids and seizure of bank accounts and other properties, over the last year. 

The blockage of Vivo’s shipments at the airport is likely to unnerve other Chinese smartphone players in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet is also pushing Indian manufacturers to ramp up exports and build local supply chains while inviting American, European and other Asian tech companies to come and start manufacturing their products in the country. India aims to export electronics products worth $120 billion by the end of March 2026.

Vivo exported its first batch of India-made smartphones in early November to markets such as Saudi Arabia and Thailand. But the latest snag could cloud Vivo’s future in the world’s second-biggest smartphone market, where the company is already under scrutiny for alleged money laundering, a claim that has yet to be proven in court.