India extended the existing import management system (IMS) for certain IT hardware products such as personal computers, laptops and tablets by three months till December 31, 2024.
Importers would be required to apply for fresh authorisations for the period of January 1, 2025 subject to detailed guidance to be provided shortly,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said.
The deadline for review of the system is September 30. ET had reported on Tuesday that the government is contemplating extending the import authorisation system with the ministry of electronics and IT (MeitY) favouring such an extension.
The imports of these products were $8.4 billion in 2023-24 against the authorisation of around $9.5 billion.
As per officials, the monitoring showed that the rest of the imports came from Hong Kong and south east Asia with the US’ contribution being $500-600 million.
On August 3, 2023, the government first imposed the import restrictions on laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers, and servers.
After the industry flagged concerns over the curbs, the government in October last year rolled out an import management/ authorisation for imports of these products to monitor their inbound shipments without hurting market supply. Commenting on the development, think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that India’s repeated delay in implementing laptop import restrictions, likely influenced by US concerns, needs to end.
