The Indian government announced restrictions on the import of laptops, personal computers, and other electronic items. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a notification under the Commerce Ministry, which allows importing these items against a license but exempts certain use cases from the restrictions. Imports are permitted for essential capital goods, ensuring secure digital access to the growing number of digital citizens in the country.
The India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) expressed confidence that valid licenses will be provided to trusted industry partners to facilitate ease of doing business.
Mr Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman of, India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) said, “This policy announcement seems to be based on the premise of providing secure digital access to the burgeoning number of digital citizens in the country. We are confident that valid licenses will be provided to trusted industry partners which will enable Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and unrestricted access to trusted brands for digital consumers.”
The notification exempts around 20 items from import license per consignment for research and development, evaluation, repair, re-export, testing, benchmarking, and product development. Imports under baggage rules are also not subjected to these restrictions, stated the report.
Prabhu Ram, the Head of the Industry Intelligence Group at CMR, praised the policy change as a step in the right direction, promoting the restriction of certain electronics imports and enforcement of licenses for restricted items, thus supporting the Make in India initiative. He also highlighted the PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware, aiming to enhance the hardware manufacturing ecosystem and create substantial job opportunities in the sector.
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The government extended the application window for the PLI Scheme 2.0 for IT Hardware until August 30, with a budgetary outlay of Rs 17,000 crore. It covers various components of the IT hardware sector, including laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, servers, and ultra-small form factor devices. The scheme aims to generate incremental production worth Rs 3,35,000 crore, creating 75,000 direct jobs and over 2 lakh indirect jobs.
With this policy shift and the PLI Scheme 2.0, the Indian government seeks to encourage domestic manufacturing, boost the electronics industry, and strengthen its position in the global market.
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Inputs from IANS
