More Stories

Informist, Tuesday, Apr. 28, 2026

 

NEW DELHI – The Supreme Court Tuesday issued a notice to National Informatics Centre Services Inc. on Karix Mobile Pvt. Ltd.'s plea challenging a letter of empanelment given to OneXtel Ltd. on a tender for the implementation of message gateway services of the Centre. The apex court has also sought OneXtel's response on Karix Mobile's plea.

 

Karix Mobile argued that the contract was awarded to OneXtel, which was an ineligible entity as it had secured qualification by submitting a false and invalid capability maturity model integration certification, a mandatory pre-condition under the request for empanelment. The requirement of this certification was an essential and non-curable eligibility condition, particularly in view of the sensitive nature of message gateway services involving governmental communications and citizen data, said Karix Mobile.

 

The certificate was issued to OneXtel by UK Certification & Inspection Ltd., an entity not authorised by the capability maturity model integration institute under Information Systems Audit and Control Associations to issue such certifications, said the petitioner. Despite bringing the fraudulent nature of the certification to the notice of National Informatics Centre through multiple representations, no corrective action has been taken, and on the contrary, the latter proceeded to award and continue the empanelment in favour of OneXtel, thus, demonstrating complete non-application of mind and arbitrariness, said the petitioner.

 

National Informatics Centre said that the bid submitted by OneXtel was duly examined by a committee comprising senior technical experts, including top-level officers and domain experts from technical evaluation committee. There is no conclusive material to establish that Information Systems Audit and Control Associations or the capability maturity model integration institute is the sole body authorised to issue these certifications, and that similar certifications are issued by multiple organisations, it said.

 

When the challenge to the award reached the Delhi High Court, it noted that OneXtel had been awarded the contract at a consolidated cost of approximately INR 2.70 billion and the price bid offered by Karix Mobile was INR 3.40 billion. The National Informatics Centre by accepting OneXtel's bid has saved approximately INR 700 million of public money over the three-year period of the contract, the high court noted.

 

Upholding the letter of empanelment in favour of OneXtel, the high court said that the service to be availed by National Informatics Centre are of public interest and no disruption of services can be allowed. Challenging the high court’s order, Karix Mobile moved the apex court.  End

 

Reported by Surya Tripathi

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

For users of real-time market data terminals, Informist news is available exclusively on the NSE Cogencis WorkStation.

 

Cogencis news is now Informist news. This follows the acquisition of Cogencis Information Services Ltd. by NSE Data & Analytics Ltd., a 100% subsidiary of the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. As a part of the transaction, the news department of Cogencis has been sold to Informist Media Pvt. Ltd.

 

Informist Media Tel +91 (11) 4220-1000

Send comments to feedback@informistmedia.com

 

© Informist Media Pvt. Ltd. 2026. All rights reserved.