MHA, DoT, MeitY to crack down on illegal walkie-talkie sales despite existing ban

In a continued crackdown on the online sales of unauthorized walkie-talkies, the Department of Consumer Affairs has escalated the matter to key government ministries, citing national security and regulatory concerns, sources told CNBC-TV18.

In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the department has flagged widespread violations of India's telecom and consumer protection norms through the unregulated sale of walkie-talkie devices on digital platforms.

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The letter urges the line ministries to investigate breaches falling within their respective domains, including concerns over use of restricted radio frequencies, lack of proper equipment approval, and failure to comply with mandatory licensing requirements.

The move follows recent action by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), which had last month issued 13 notices to major e-commerce marketplaces for illegally listing walkie-talkies.

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Companied named include Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, OLX, TradeIndia, Facebook, Indiamart, VardaanMart, Jiomart, Krishnamart, Chimiya, Talk Pro Walkie Talkie, and MaskMan Toys.

As per existing government regulations, only walkie-talkies that operate on permitted frequencies and are duly authorized with Equipment Type Approval (ETA) and license details are allowed for sale. Devices that do not meet these criteria are considered illegal under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.