Government Planning Laptop Import Restrictions to Increase Local Manufacturing, Apple, Lenovo, Dell, HP

Import of laptops, tablets and personal computers in the country can be limited earlier next year. This will encourage devices makers like Apple to increase local manufacturing. If this scheme is implemented, there can be a big change in this industry of $ 8–10 billion.

Reuters quoted sources in a report as saying that the central government believes that it has given adequate facilities to this industry to increase local manufacturing. A source said that talks can be started with the stakeholders of this industry next week. Last year, a similar scheme was opposed by the companies of this segment and from the US Lobbying Was not implemented after. After this, the government started monitoring these devices through a system. This year the period of this system is ending and after that these companies may be asked to take approval again for imports next year.

Large companies in this industry include Apple, HP, Dell, Lenovo and Samsung. The total demand for laptops, tablets and personal computers in the country can be completed through two-thirds imports. A large part of this import is from China. A few months ago, Reuters reported that after lobbying by US officials, the government had withdrawn the licensing policy related to the laptop. Sources, who are aware of this, said that America’s concern had increased due to the delay in implementing restrictions on the import of the laptop. Between April and July this year, the import of laptops and personal computers in the country was about $ 1.7 billion.

Applications of some companies including Dell were approved last year under a government subsidy scheme on laptops, tablets and personal computers manufacturing. This is estimated to have manufacturing of products such as personal computers, servers, laptops and tablets worth about Rs 3.35 crore in six years. Samsung, one of the large consumer electronics companies, may start manufacturing laptops in the country by the end of this year. The company’s factory is in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Samsung’s smartphones are manufactured in the country. The sale of these smartphones is also exported.