India announced restrictions on the import of laptops, personal computers, and tablets in the country on Thursday. Only companies with valid licenses for restricted imports will be allowed to import these devices. Government sources told Business Today that these restrictions are imposed in response to the rising number of cybercrimes in India.
The sources further added that the registration process for obtaining a valid license for restricted imports will be streamlined to ensure minimal compliance, with the aim of completing it within a matter of minutes.
The said sources have also confirmed that consumers will not witness any price hike on the restricted import devices.
On Thursday, it was announced that these regulations will apply with immediate effect, however, the sources tell Business Today that the implementation process will be carefully planned and executed, with a smooth transition period.
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry had earlier stated, “Import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, and ultra-small form factor computers and servers falling under HSN 8741 shall be ‘restricted’ and their import would be allowed against a valid license for restricted imports.”
Do note that buyers will not require a license to import one Laptop or a Tablet, even when they purchase it online or via courier. However, they will need to pay the applicable import duty.
You are also allowed to import up to 20 such items in one consignment without needing a license, for purposes like research and development (R&D), testing, benchmarking and evaluation, repair and re-export, and product development purposes. These devices are not allowed to be sold after their purpose is fulfilled. The government says that they must either be destroyed or re-exported.
The government has clarified that these restrictions will not apply to baggage rules, hence, you will not have to pay extra charges if you are bringing a new device on a flight.
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