India is introducing a new "authorisation" system for imports of laptops, tablets, and personal computers, with the goal of monitoring the shipments of these devices without disrupting the market supply, according to government officials. The new "import management system" will be implemented from November 1. Companies are required to register the quantity and value of imports, but the government will not deny any import requests. Instead, the data will be used for monitoring purposes. The aim of this system, as stated by S Krishnan, the top bureaucrat in the electronics and infotech ministry, is "to ensure that all this provides us with the kind of data and information we need to make sure that we have a completely trusted digital system."

This decision comes as a relief for global laptop manufacturers like Dell, HP, Apple, Samsung, and Lenovo, who were concerned about the sudden announcement of a licensing regime in August. Initially, on August 3, India had imposed a licensing regime on laptop and tablet imports, but it was quickly deferred following criticism from the industry and Washington. The original plan would have allowed the government to reject import requests and required a license for each shipment. According to Krishnan, further measures might be taken after September 2024 based on the data collected, as mentioned during a press conference.

Source: Business Standard