New Delhi, Aug 5 (Agency) In a relief for electronic companies, the government today deferred the plan to curb laptop and tablet imports by three months. Companies will have time until October 31 to secure a licence to import the devices, the government said in a notification. “Import consignments can be cleared till October 31 without a licence and a government permit would be required for clearance of import from November 1,” the government said.It added that a “liberal transitional arrangement is provided for import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one personal computers, ultra-small form factor computers and servers … till October 31, 2023”. This is a partial reversal from a surprise decision on Thursday to impose the licensing requirement with immediate effect, which had prompted calls for a delay.
The government said the restrictions were imposed for security reasons and the need to promote domestic manufacturing. The move will also curtail in-bound shipments of these goods from countries like China and Korea and also allow the Centre to keep a close watch on the locations from where the products are coming, officials said. Union IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar had said the move was aimed to “ensure trusted hardware and systems” and reduce dependence on imports.The announcement had caught the industry off guard, forcing tech giants to begin emergency engagements with the government about how to quickly obtain licenses at a period of heightened consumer interest with Diwali shopping season just around the corner.