Research In Motion (RIM), the smartphone maker, has taken measures to delay the scheduled shutdown of its services in India on August 31. The company, which counts a million Blackberry users in the subcontinent, has offered to spearhead an industry forum to devise solutions that will be agreeable to the Indian government, which have concerns over security, and the privacy of Blackberry users.

The forum is designed to postpone the implementation of the Blackberry ban. If India agrees to the formation of a forum, a lot of time will likely be wasted deciding on the members of the panel and what the scope of their work will be. Then, a multitude of meetings will likely take place before a final report will be produced. The whole process could take months.

RIM has already introduced measures to appease Indian officials. The company will grant access to Blackberry messages to the country's security agencies on a per-request basis starting September 1. By November, the company is also expected to introduce a more automated solution to tracking messages. Research in Motion may also open up corporate email to the police.

"Finding the right balance to address both regulatory and commercial needs in this matter is an ongoing process and RIM has assured the Government of India of its continued support and respect for India's legal and national security requirements," said the company in a statement.

"The use of strong encryption in wireless technology is not unique to the BlackBerry platform," it added. "It is unquestionably an industry-wide matter. Banning such strong encryption-based information and communications services would severely limit the effectiveness and productivity of India's corporations."