Strange but true. India is trying to levy tax on Internet sites that are offering voice chats (read Google, MSN, Yahoo, etc.).

Here's the link:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=3db5bf99-943b-491c-b14e-32b28a81c6ec&&Headline=Voice+chats+may+no+longer+be+free+of+charge

I don't think it's gonna happen. TRAI can dream about it, but can't regulate Internet telephony in India. Let's wait and watch. What do you guys think?

Interesting Read ... Thanks for sharing.

I am puzzled more than anything
“We have been urging the government to ban them from providing the service illegally. Now they will at least pay the service tax and 6 per cent of annual gross revenue," Rajesh Chharia, President of the Internet Service Providers Association of India (ISPAI)

How is it Illegal? Its Application Layer !!! What about servers hosted out of India? Yahoo did not provide voice-based services through its servers (network computers) in India, and therefore it did not fall within the ambit of service tax and said it had no plans to get registered in India so far.
But Duhhhh what do I know on politics and policies.

He is Calling it threat to National Security and the way to tackle is Levy Tax - hmmmm
“Without lawful interception and call detail records (of non-Indian Internet firms), we will not be able to control the threat to national security,”

PS: And I was hoping that TRAI would legalise VOIP. Keep Dreaming

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Mumbai Maazi Ladki ...