© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: People sit and work on their laptops at Deloitte’s workplace in Gurugram, India, June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo
By Munsif Vengattil and Shivangi Acharya
NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India will defer an import licence requirement for laptops and tablets, two authorities officers mentioned, a coverage U-turn after industry and the U.S. authorities complained in regards to the transfer, which may hit Apple (NASDAQ:), Samsung (KS:) and others.
The plan can be delayed by a 12 months, after which the federal government will think about whether or not to implement a licensing regime or not, one of the officers informed Reuters, requesting anonymity.
The licensing regime, introduced abruptly on Aug. 3, aimed to “ensure trusted hardware and systems” enter India, cut back dependence on imports, enhance native manufacturing and partly handle the nation’s commerce imbalance with China.
But following industry objections, the preliminary plan was rapidly delayed by about three months.
Last month U.S. commerce chief Katherine Tai raised considerations with India over the transfer, which might additionally have an effect on firms resembling Dell (NYSE:) and HP (NYSE:).
India’s electronics ministry is now proposing an easier import registration course of that’s due to begin in November, mentioned the officers, who’ve direct information of the discussions.
A consultant for India’s IT ministry didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The new ‘imports administration system’ will want firms to get hold of ‘registration certificates’ for imports of laptops, tablets and private computer systems, as an alternative of licences proposed earlier by the Aug.3 order, one of the officers mentioned.
The ministry conveyed the proposal to industry officers in a gathering on Friday, they added.
India’s electronics imports, together with laptops, tablets and private computer systems, stood at $19.7 billion within the April to June interval, up 6.25% year-on-year.
