Budget 2017 Wishlist: Expectations from the telecom sector

Industry size: Total mobile services market revenue in India is expected to touch $37 billion in 2017

Employment figure: About 4 million of direct and indirect employment in India 

Mobile industry contribution to GDP: About 6.5% to India’s GDP in 2015

Key issues or areas of concern for each sector | Budget 2017|

 On sale of recharge coupons/ pre-paid starter packs, the revenue on talk-time need to be deferred for tax purposes over the period of usage

IRU rights acquired, being in the nature of commercial rights, fall within the definition of “intangibles” and, therefore, should be eligible for depreciation for tax purposes. This aspect should be clarified without further delay to end related litigation

Industry asks

1.Clarification on treatment of distributor margins discount given by telecom operators and TDS rate on it to be minimised

2. Under the proposed GST regime, telcos will have significantly higher compliance costs due to multiple-state registrations. This additional burden on the sector should be minimised

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