The Government of India, through a resolution dated September 19, 2026, announced the dissolution of the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) in the Gazette of India.
The DCC, founded as the Telecom Commission in 1989 and renamed in 2018, had been the apex body approving telecom projects, with a tiered approval hierarchy: projects up to Rs 100 crore were cleared by the Secretary DoT; between Rs 100 crore and Rs 500 crore, the Telecom Minister could approve; projects over Rs 500 crore but below Rs 1,000 crore required DCC clearance.
Under the new order, the Expenditure Finance Committee will assume responsibility for projects above Rs 500 crore, while the Secretary DoT and Telecom Minister retain their existing thresholds. The Committee, chaired by the Finance Minister, will convene quarterly to review high‑value proposals.
Rajesh Kumar, CEO of the Telecom Industry Association, said the move could streamline approvals but warned that the committee's broader mandate might slow decision‑making for large‑scale infrastructure plans.
The Ministry has scheduled the committee’s inaugural meeting for October 5, 2026, after which it will issue guidelines on the new approval process. Industry stakeholders are expected to file their first proposals within the next 30 days.