The director general of foreign trade, a division of the Indian government has imposed restrictions on import of laptops, tablets, and personal computers with immediate effect from August 3, 2023.
The government did not provide any reason or explanation for this move. However, this announcement comes as a firm step in the direction of boosting local manufacturing under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ scheme, by discouraging imports into the country.
India’s electronics imports, which include laptops, tablets and personal computers, stood at $19.7 billion in the April to June period, up 6.25 per cent year-over-year, Reuters reported. This restriction will negatively impact the sales of giant electronic gadget companies such as Samsung, Dell and Apple due to a lengthier process of obtaining license.
Companies that import gadgets will now require a license. According to industry executives, this would mean longer waiting period for each new model launched, and the new gadgets would come to market just ahead of the festive season in India when sales typically surge, reported Reuters News.
The government’s notification mentioned that any import of laptops, tablets, personal computers will only be allowed against a valid license produced for restricted imports.
