Govt firming up IT hardware import policy framework

India will introduce an import management system to permit the import of laptops, servers and other IT hardware products from trusted jurisdictions, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of electronics and IT, said. Imports from non-trusted jurisdictions—read China—will be limited to a certain number of units. The framework, expected to be put in place this month, aims to exit the ‘non-sustainable’ model of relying on imports. Currently, it is extraordinarily dependent on supply chains that are import-intensive, and within that, it is extraordinarily dependent on one geography. That is not a sustainable model for the Indian government.

The ministry of communications is also looking to bring fibre-based home broadband networks under an import licensing regime. This will offer protection to the domestic manufacturers. These include gigabit passive optical network (GPON) OLT/ONT systems, Wi-Fi access points, ethernet switches and wireless radio links.

CT Bureau