Government is reportedly planning to extend the validity of the import authorisation system for laptops and other devices. The system that allows manufacturers to import their devices for free was earlier set to end on September 30. Industry players including laptop and personal computer (PC) manufacturers were also waiting for an update on the same.
A recent Moneycontrol report cited a senior government official as saying that the laptop manufacturers who already have valid import registration won’t need to apply for a renewal as it is expected to get automatically extended till the end of the year. The report also noted that the commerce and industry ministry may soon issue a notification to announce the updates regarding the import management system.
"The registration of the companies who have already been approved will be valid till the extension. It will be carried over," the report quoted the official.
Laptop makers concerned about import restrictions
In a bid to promote domestic manufacturing and secure supply chains, the government introduced import restrictions on laptops and other electronic devices in August 2023. The move faced pushback from major tech companies, prompting the government to roll back the restrictions and extend the free import window for a year until September 2024.
The policy faced opposition from global tech giants including
Apple,
HP,
Dell,
Lenovo, Panasonic and others who argued it would disrupt their operations. These companies also raised concerns that going back to the government’s initial proposal of licensing norms for the PC ecosystem would hamper India's tech dreams.
In 2021, the government also launched the PLI scheme for IT hardware to encourage local manufacturing of electronic devices like laptops and tablets. However, due to manufacturers struggling to reach production goals and the need to analyse consumption trends, the government later introduced the import authorisation system.