Rs 110–125 Crore NICSI Messaging Deal Under Govt Review Following Bogus Certification Allegations

NEW DELHI: The government has initiated a review of documents submitted for a Rs 110–125 crore annual contract recently awarded by the National Informatics Centre Services Incorporated (NICSI) for SMS and messaging gateway services, following allegations that the winning vendor, OneXtel Ltd., may have submitted invalid or fraudulent certification.

Background of the Contract

In January 2026, OneXtel Ltd. was empaneled by NICSI to provide messaging services for central and state government departments, public sector undertakings, and autonomous bodies. The contract, initially spanning three years with a possible two-year extension, was expected to generate annual revenue of Rs 110–125 crore. Services under the contract include OTP-based authentication, transactional alerts, public awareness campaigns, emergency notifications, and Rich Communication Services (RCS).

NICSI, operating under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), manages government messaging infrastructure critical to large-scale citizen communication.

The Certification Controversy

The contract came under scrutiny after a whistleblower alleged that OneXtel submitted a CMMI Level 5 certification issued by UK Certification & Inspection Limited, a body not authorized by the CMMI Institute (now under ISACA) to grant such appraisals.

CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integration) Level 5 is the highest maturity rating, indicating optimized and continuously improving processes, and serves as a key eligibility criterion for government tenders involving critical infrastructure. Only CMMI-authorized Lead Appraisers can issue valid certifications, which are publicly verifiable via the Published Appraisal Results System (PARS).

According to the complaint, neither OneXtel Ltd. nor the issuing body appears in the official CMMI partner registry or on PARS, raising questions about the certificate’s validity.

Official and Expert Insights

A senior bureaucrat, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The420.in that certifications like CMMI Level 5 are crucial for ensuring operational reliability, privacy protection, and legal compliance in government communications. Accepting an invalid certificate compromises procurement integrity, and agencies are expected to verify appraisals independently.

The officer likened reliance on unverifiable certifications to allowing someone with a fake driving license to operate a vehicle—posing legal and operational risks. Corrective actions in such cases can include disqualification, cancellation of empanelment, withholding purchase orders, or temporary debarment.

OneXtel’s Troubled Past

This probe follows previous regulatory action. In July 2024, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) suspended OneXtel and another telemarketer, V-Con, for sending 55.5 million fraudulent or phishing SMSes to smartphone users. The suspensions followed complaints lodged on the Chakshu portal regarding malicious messaging practices.

Next Steps

The ongoing review focuses on verifying the authenticity of the CMMI certificate and assessing due diligence conducted during the empanelment process. If the allegations are substantiated, the findings could lead to contract reassessment and strengthen scrutiny of certification verification procedures in government procurement.

At the time of reporting, neither NICSI nor OneXtel Ltd. had issued an official statement regarding the complaint or the government review.