No restriction on laptop imports; we are only monitoring: Commerce Secretary

India’s government clarifies that there are no restrictions on imports of laptops, only monitoring will be in place.

India will not impose the licensing requirement on imports of laptops and computers but will only monitor their inbound shipments, a top government official said.

The remarks assume significance as the government in August announced that these products, including laptops, tablets and computers, would be put under a licensing regime from November 1.

“On laptops, we are of the view that there are no restrictions as such. We are only saying that somebody who is importing these laptops, have to be under close watch, so that we can look at these imports.

“It is basically monitoring, which we are doing. It has nothing to do with restrictions as such,” Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal told reporters here.

Explaining further, Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar Sarangi said there will be an import management system, which will come into place from November 1.