India lifted restrictions on laptop and tablet imports on Thursday and launched a new authorization system to track shipments without disrupting the market.
Shivangi Acharya for Reuters:
The new “import management system” takes effect from Nov. 1 and requires companies to register the quantity and value of imports, but the government will not reject any import requests and will use the data for monitoring, the officials said.
Its purpose is “to ensure that all this provides us with the kind of data and information we need to make sure that we have a completely trusted digital system,” said S. Krishnan, the top bureaucrat in the electronics and infotech ministry.
On Aug. 3, India imposed a licensing regime on laptops and tablet imports, but quickly deferred the decision following criticism from industry and Washington. That plan would have allowed the government to hold up or reject import requests while requiring a licence for every shipment.
MacDailyNews Take: The decision to abandon the import restrictions is a victory for Apple and consumers as it will make it easier and more affordable for Indians to buy MacBooks and iPads.
Apple is all in on India and we can see the company being granted exemptions or expedited licensing given that the company’s current push to diversify beyond China strongly involves significant manufacturing and assembly investments in India by Apple and their assemblers. – MacDailyNews, August 8, 2023
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