Controversial BSNL Project with Chinese Company Persists Despite India-China Tensions

After the Galwan clash in June 2020, when tensions between India and China were high, a significant project for Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), a state-owned telecom operator, was assigned to a Chinese company associated with ZTE, a Chinese telecom company. Surprisingly, despite India's growing protectionist stance against China following the clashes, BSNL continued to work with the Chinese firm until the project's completion, according to information obtained by The Indian Express.

In early 2020, a contract worth approximately Rs 500 crore (equivalent to $61 million) was awarded to Whale Cloud Technology, a company connected to ZTE, through the state-owned Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd (TCIL). Whale Cloud Technology was originally a subsidiary of ZTE, and in 2018, it received strategic investment and became part of Alibaba, another Chinese giant.