Mega tender bidders conference this month: BSNL

New Delhi, Apr 10 (UNI) Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited's Chairman and Managing Director Anil Kumar Sinha today said that the bidders conference will be held here later this month to kick start the mega tender of 45.5 million lines for the telecom major's 45.5 million lines for GSM mobile connections.

''The whole process (tenders) woud be completed in the next four months,'' Mr Sinha said at a press conference here.

The tender is billed as the biggest ever expansion of mobile phone networks in the country where BSNL will add 45.5 million lines spread over three years, envisaging an investment of 4-5 billion dollars.

BSNL has opted for two stage bidding system for the tender, which entails planning, engineering, supply, installation and commissioning of the lines The companies having manufacturing base in India or tie-ups with equipment manufacturers located in the country are eligible to bid.

The vendors will have to achieve a minimum of at least 30 per cent value addition in indigenously manufactured core equipment.

The 30 per cent value addition clause has been included in the tender to encourage domestic manufacturing of telecom equipment.

''To promote domestic manufacture, boards of BSNL and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited have decided to insist on value addition in the country for their tenders,'' Department of Telecom Secretary J S Sarma had said.

The total expansion of network is of 60 million lines, but the remaining 14.5 million lines worth order has been reserved for public sector ITI, which has a technical tie up with French equipment major Alcatel.

UNI RT CS GC1927