Now they have to get a license
Apple, Samsung Electronics and HP are among the biggest companies to have stopped deliveries of laptops and tablets to India after the South Asian country drastically curtailed the supply of foreign products.
Regulators on Thursday surprised the world’s biggest PC makers by announcing a mandatory license to import electronics from small tablets to all-in-ones. Notebook makers have been preparing for some government action to reduce dependence on imports and encourage local production, but the sudden introduction of licensing has taken the industry by surprise, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Apple, HP and Samsung stop deliveries of laptops and tablets after sudden restrictions in India
Companies supplying laptops, tablets and other IT products to India from overseas will have at least one month to apply for an import license, a senior official at the Ministry of Technology told reporters in New Delhi on Friday. The government is streamlining the application process for licenses, which can be approved in as little as one day.
Officials are also helping companies clear cargo already in transit to the South Asian country as the shutdown threatens to derail the multi-billion dollar trade in foreign computers at a critical juncture.
This requirement creates additional challenges for manufacturers, who are already struggling with a global stock glut. This could result in a delayed launch in India or even a shortage in a market that is still heavily dependent on supplies from overseas.
