Govt to issue end-to-end digital authorisation for laptop, tablets' import

India is launching a new system of "authorisation" for imports of laptops, tablets and personal computers, aiming to monitor shipments of such hardware without hurting market supply, government officials said on Thursday.

The new "import management system" takes effect from Nov. 1 and requires companies to register the quantity and value of imports, but the government will not reject any import requests and will use the data for monitoring, the officials said.

Its purpose 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," said S. Krishnan, the top bureaucrat in the electronics and infotech ministry.

The decision spells relief for global laptop makers such as Dell, HP, Apple, Samsung and Lenovo, which had been unnerved by the abrupt announcement of a licensing regime in August.

On Aug. 3, India imposed a licensing regime on laptops and tablet imports, but quickly deferred the decision following criticism from industry and Washington.

That plan would have allowed the government to reject import requests while requiring a licence for every shipment.

Further measures could be taken after September 2024 on the basis of the data collected, Krishnan added, speaking at a press conference.