Within two days after the launch of JioBook, India restricted the import of laptops, servers, and PCs to boost Atmanirbhar Bharat. As part of this initiative, companies should apply for licensing permits for imports. According to analysts, the move is mainly aimed to boost local manufacturing under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The relevant Government notification reads as shown below:
Import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, and ultra-small form factor computers and servers falling under HSN 8741 shall be restricted.
However, the products can be imported against a valid license. This restriction will not apply to passengers carrying the devices in their baggage. If you are coming from abroad, you can carry one unit of laptop along with the bagge without any restriction. India rfecently banned smart TV imports, which boosted local manufacturing during COVID times. India has been providing excellent incentives to manufacturing companies to boost domestic production. As of this writing, nearly all smartphone manufacturers have established their factories followed by chipmakers and semiconductor companies.
Commenting on the development, Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of the Indian Cellular and Electronics Association disclosed that they are confident that valid licenses will be provided to trusted industry partners to enable Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) and also to provide unrestricted access to trusted brands for digital consumers. He asserted that the new policy has been finalized based on the premise of providing secure digital access to the ever-growing digital citizens.
Dell and HP already established their manufacturing plant in India. The aim of the Government is to expand the manufacturing of all companies including Apple. The intention is to boost local jobs directly and indirectly under Make in India initiative. Apple already established its exclusive shop in Mumbai and New Delhi. We have to wait and watch whether the prices of laptops and tablets will increase because of this action by the Narendra Modi government.