MUMBAI, INDIA: India's telecom ministry has suggested fresh tendering for a large GSM-line order by state telecoms Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to help lower costs, the Business Standard newspaper reported on Thursday.

BSNL, India's No. 4 mobile operator, had last year called for bids for supply of 93 million lines in the country's east, west, north and south zones and is currently doing price negotiations with Ericsson  and Huawei that have qualified for three of the zones.

The newspaper said the proposal for a new tender was to ensure that there was more than one bidder in each zone and BSNL gets the cheapest price for the equipment.

The government had also decided against Chinese companies for supplying equipment in sensitive border areas, striking out Huawei that had qualified for the western zone.

BSNL Chairman Kuldeep Goyal could not be immediately reached for comment.