India has abruptly restricted the import of personal computers including laptops and tablets as the country works to boost local electronics manufacturing.
In a notice issued on Thursday, the commerce ministry’s directorate general of foreign trade said companies would with immediate effect need a “restricted imports” licence to ship such devices into India. Analysts said the new rule would create a barrier that could slow the flow of imports.
The directorate gave no reason for the sharp policy shift or say what it expected its impact to be, but India is trying to grow its electronics industry amid a shift away from manufacturing in China.