- Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Another government official said on the condition of anonymity that the proposal could be deferred by at least a month.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN deputy minister of information technology (IT) and electronics Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday (4) announced that the country will provide a transition period before a new licensing regime for imports of gadgets such as laptops, tables and personal computers becomes effective.
On Thursday (3), the Indian government announced a surprising move, saying that starting immediately, imports of laptops, tablets, and personal computers will require licensing.
“There will be a transition period for this to be put into effect which will be notified soon,” Chandrasekhar said on the X social media platform, formerly called Twitter.
Q: Why has the @GoI_MeitY finalized new norms for import of IT hardware like Laptops, Servers etc?
Ans: There will be a transition period for this to be put into effect which will be notified soon.
Pls read ? https://t.co/u5436EA0IG
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar ?? (@Rajeev_GoI) August 4, 2023
Another government official said on the condition of anonymity that the proposal could be deferred by at least a month and the notification will be issued by later on Friday, Reuters reported.
It also said that India’s trade, electronics and IT ministry did not immediately respond to an email seeking remarks.
The Indian minister remarks come after another government official told the news outlet earlier on Friday that the industry had sought a deferral of the new import license order by three to six months.
“Industry has sought a 3-6 month transition period. We are examining the suggestions made by the industry and may soon issue an additional notice with clarifications if needed,” Reuters quoted the second government source, who chose to speak on the condition of anonymity, as saying.
The Narendra Modi government cited no reason for the action in its notification on Thursday. While it is believed to affect technology firms such as Apple, Samsung and Dell, it could also see them boost manufacturing in India.
The move was aimed at addressing the trade imbalance with China, another government official told the media.
Meanwhile, a report by Bloomberg said companies such as Apple, Samsung and HP were ceasing new imports of laptops and tablets to India following an abrupt ban on inbound shipments sans a license.
According to it, while the laptop makers had been bracing for government measures to decrease reliance on imports and encouraging local production, the sudden imposition of licensing caught the industry off guard, informed sources said on the condition of anonymity.
The Bloomberg report also said that the technology companies are now having engagements with the Modi government on how to obtain licenses most quickly at a period of heightened consumer interest with the festive season and back-to-school period in India approaching.
While it is unclear how long it would take for the companies to get licenses, the sudden halt is already causing disruptions to a multibillion dollar trade in foreign personal computers.
