Indian I-T dept raids entities linked to Chinese mobile-phone makers

THE Indian income-tax department on Wednesday (22) carried out pan-India searches against entities that are engaged with mobile-phone manufacturers from China on charges of evading tax, official sources said.

The raids were carried out at premises at the National Capital Region and big cities like Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad, among others, they added.

Vendors and distribution partners of four to five firms in mobile-handset manufacturing and sales business were searched as part of the operation, the sources added.

Reacting to the development, handset manufacturer Oppo said it will assist the agencies. “As an invested partner in India, we highly respect and abide by the law of the land. We will continue to fully cooperate with authorities concerned as per procedure,” a company spokesperson said.

Another mobile phone maker Xiaomi, said it was in compliance with Indian laws.

“As a responsible company, we give paramount importance to ensuring that we are compliant with all Indian laws.

As an invested partner in India, we are fully cooperating with authorities to ensure they have all the required information,” a Xiaomi spokesperson said.

Tax officials did not share details about the specific grounds on which the searches were carried out and the seizures and recoveries made during the operation that is understood to have begun on Tuesday (21), the Press Trust of India reported.