The imports of laptops, tablets, and personal computers will now only be permitted against a valid license, effective immediately
In a recent notice released on Thursday, the Ministry of Commerce stated that the Indian government has announced restrictions on the importation of laptops, tablets, and personal computers into India. According to the notice, the new regulations are effective immediately, meaning all imports falling under this category will be subject to the mentioned restrictions without any further ado. As for the items being re-imported into India after being repaired in a foreign country, the license for “Restricted Imports” will not be necessary.
The imports of laptops, tablets, and personal computers will now only be permitted against a valid license. Notably, the announcement explicitly states that these restrictions will not be applicable to imports falling under the Baggage Rules. This means that the passengers carrying laptops, tablets, or personal computers across the Indian borders must be prepared to undergo customs checks to ensure compliance with the existing regulations.
According to reports, this move is a deliberate attempt by the Indian government to boost our Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” initiative, whose aim is to make India a manufacturing hub by focusing on its domestic industry, and also encourage international manufacturing industries to invest in India, thereby driving growth and employment in the country.
With respect to the Make in India initiative, this move by the government will significantly boost sales of local electronic product manufacturers. However, this might pose a problem for the foreign electronic companies such as Acer, Apple, Dell, Lenovo, HP, Panasonic, and Samsung, which have been major sellers in the Indian market so far. The new regulations are anticipated to cause a decline in their sales.
By implementing these measures, the government aims to foster a controlled and transparent import process while still allowing hassle-free imports for passengers traveling under the Baggage Rules. Since this new policy takes effect immediately, importers and travelers need to promptly familiarise themselves with the updated regulations in order to avoid inconveniences.
