India Restricts Import Of Laptops, Tablets And PCs To Foster Domestic Production

India on Thursday (3 August) restricted the import of laptops, tablets, and personal computers with immediate effect, according to a government notification.

The notification states that import will only be permitted with a valid license for restricted imports.

"Import of Laptops, Tablets, All-in-one Personal Computers, and Ultra small form factor Computers and Servers...... shall be 'Restricted' and their import would be allowed against a valid Licence for Restricted Imports," said the notification issued by Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on Thursday.

The move is likely aimed at increasing the local manufacturing of the high-end electronics items in India.

The DGFT notification, however, clarified that the said restriction would not apply to "Imports under Baggage Rules".

During the April-June period, the import of electronics, including laptops, tablets, and personal computers, amounted to $19.7 billion, marking a 6.25 per cent increase compared to the previous year, reports Reuters.

Dell, Acer, Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Apple Inc, Lenovo, and HP Inc are among the major companies that sell laptops in the Indian market and a significant portion of these are imported from countries such as China.