India has imposed immediate restrictions on the import of laptops, tablets, and personal computers, a move aimed at promoting local manufacturing, Reuters reported. The government notice stated that these items would now require a valid license for restricted imports.

Pushing Local Manufacturing

This decision comes as part of India’s broader strategy to boost local manufacturing and reduce dependence on imports. The country’s electronics imports, including laptops, tablets, and personal computers, amounted to $19.7 billion (₹1.63 lakh crore) in the April-June quarter, marking a 6.25% year-on-year increase. Electronics imports account for 7% to 10% of India’s total merchandise imports.

The country has been incentivizing local manufacturing in over two dozen sectors, including electronics, through production-linked incentives.

Impact on Major Companies

Major companies such as Dell, Acer, Samsung, LG Electronics, Apple Inc, Lenovo, and HP Inc sell laptops in the Indian market, with a significant portion of these products imported from countries like China. The new restrictions could potentially impact their operations in the country.

Following the news, shares of Indian electronic maker Dixon Technologies surged almost 6% following the news. Laptops, tablets, and personal computers make up about 1.5% of the country’s total annual imports, and nearly half of those are bought from China, according to government data.

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Editor’s Note: Artificial intelligence was used as a secondary aid in the writing of this story.