The proceedings were initiated suo motu after the regulator found that walkie-talkies were being sold on JioMart without disclosing whether the devices required licensing or complied with wireless spectrum norms.
The CCPA noted that the use of walkie-talkies in India is regulated under the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933, with frequency permissions administered by the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) Wing of the Ministry of Communications. Devices outside the 446.0–446.2 MHz band require licences and mandatory Equipment Type Approval (ETA).
However, JioMart’s product listings did not disclose the operating frequency, whether the product required a licence, or whether ETA/WPC approvals had been obtained. This omission, the Authority held, misled consumers into believing the devices could be freely purchased and used.
The regulator found that 58 walkie-talkies were sold through the platform without any such disclosures. Several devices were operating on UHF 400–470 MHz, UHF 400–520 MHz, and VHF 130–176 MHz, all falling outside the licence-exempt band.
