NEW DELHI: The telecom department has exempted feature phone makers from installing Global Positioning System ( GPS ) which helps track the location of a device, saving buyers an almost 30% increase in costs. The Department of Telecommunications, which said in April last year that all mobile phones must have GPS capability, has now scaled down the mandate and made it applicable to only smartphones, according to a notification dated November 23 seen by ET. "With effect from 1st January 2018, no smartphone handset manufacturing company shall sell new smartphone mobile handset in India without the facility of identifying the location through satellite-based GPS," DoT said. Handset makers welcomed the move, saying it would protect the feature phone market from a price increase. "It's a big relief to the industry," said Pankaj Mohindroo, president of the Indian Cellular Association , which represents handset makers including Apple, Samsung El...