Steel tape shortage: A missing link in India's telecom supply chain

A shortage of ECCS tape, the protective armour for fibre cables, threatens India's 5G rollouts, BharatNet progress, and BSNL revival plans.

- BY DR JAIJIT BHATTACHARYA & MANOJ DINNE

India’s telecom infrastructure boom faces an unexpected constraint. As the telecom ecosystem players race to expand 5G networks, BharatNet connecting remote villages, and the revival plans of BSNL, a critical shortage has emerged: electro-chromium co-polymer coated steel (ECCS) tape; think of it as a body armour for the fibre.

This armoured tape is needed to rustproof, strengthen and protect the Optic Fibre Cables (OFC) from corrosion, physical damage and moisture, making it an indispensable input in India’s connectivity.

The current shortage stems from the intersection of quality improvement initiatives and supply chain realities. In January 2025, the Ministry of Steel implemented Quality Control Orders (QCO) requiring mandatory BIS licensing to enhance steel quality across the ecosystem. While logical for standard steel products, this framework creates complexities for specialised items like ECCS tape.

The challenge lies in ECCS tape’s unique position: India lacks domestic production at scale, which means no established BIS standards exist for the product. Recognising such scenarios, the Ministry had established a specialised portal in October 2023, allowing importers to secure No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) for products without existing BIS specifications.

This workaround was effectively until December 2024, when NOC issuance ceased. Consignments that previously cleared through established exemption processes now face regulatory uncertainty, while industry domestic inventories have dwindled to weeks of supply.