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

Import of laptops, tablets and personal computers in the country may be limited early next year. This will encourage device makers like Apple to increase local manufacturing. If this plan is implemented, there can be a big change in this 8-10 billion dollar industry.

Reuters has quoted sources in a report that the central government believes that it has provided adequate facilities to this industry to increase local manufacturing. A source said that talks in this regard can be started with the stakeholders of the industry next week. Last year, a similar scheme was not implemented after opposition from companies in this segment and lobbying from the US. After this, the government started monitoring these devices through a system. This system is expiring this year and after this these companies may be asked to seek approval again for import next year.

Big companies in this industry include Apple, HP, Dell, Lenovo and Samsung. Two-thirds of the total demand for laptops, tablets and personal computers in the country can be met through 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 A few months ago, Reuters reported that after lobbying by US officials, the government had withdrawn the licensing policy related to laptops. Sources having information about this said that America’s concern had increased due to the delay in implementing restrictions on the import of laptops. Between April and July this year, the import of laptops and personal computers in the country was about 1.7 billion dollars.

Applications from some companies, including Dell, were approved last year under a government subsidy scheme for manufacturing laptops, tablets and personal computers. This is expected to lead to manufacturing of products like personal computers, servers, laptops and tablets worth about Rs 3.35 crore in six years. Samsung, one of the largest 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 smartphones are manufactured in the country. Along with the sale of these smartphones, they are also exported.