India: Replaced import licensing requirements for consumer-electronic devices with DGFT Import Management Systems for IT Hardware

On 19 October 2023, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Department of Commerce adopted a management system for IT hardware. The import management system supplements notification 23/2023 dated 3 August 2023 and replaces the import licensing prerequisites. In particular, items essential for capital goods, such as laptops, tablets, or servers that accompany machinery such as MRI, CNC machines, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), are exempt from import licensing requirements. The import licenses are still mandatory for laptops or servers, which themselves are the primary capital goods. Importers may apply for multiple authorisations, which will be valid until 30 September 2024. The previous import licensing prerequisites for consumer-electronic devices adopted on 3 August 2023 introduced modifications to the import policy concerning items categorised under HSN 8471. Laptops and tablets are among the electronic items that would have required a license to import into India.