Centre Decides Not To Impose Import Restrictions On Laptops And Tablets

New Delhi: The Indian government has reverted from its previous decision to impose import restrictions on Laptops, servers, tablets and personal computers which was expected to come into force from November 1. According to the Trade secretary, the government will not impose any bans, though it will keep a close eye on importers.

A few months, the Central government decided to put an import ban on laptops from the October end. However, it postponed the decision after an uproar by industry players and traders.  

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) announced in a statement that import of these commodities will be allowed with a license, whereas some use cases have been exempted from the restrictions.

Why Is Centre Hindering The Import Of Laptops & Tablets?

India has a huge import percentage of electronic items including tablets, laptops, and personal computers. The import from April to June totaled around $19.7 billion which was an increase of 6l25% year-on-year.

Indian government is looking to increase the domestic contribution in the overall electronic market and decrease the dependence from other countries. Restrictions of import can be the first step in the effort.

Import of Laptops, PCs, and Tablets Restricted

The restrictions include mailing, using couriers, or purchasing an individual laptop, tablet, desktop, or ultra-compact computer from an online retailer and shipping it to a recipient abroad. Imports under baggage rules also don't fall under these restrictions, the DGFT notification said.