· India introduces new 'authorization' system for laptop imports

· New system does not restrict imports of laptops, tablets

· New system to collect data for future policy actions

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The Indian government on Thursday decided to allow unrestricted imports of laptops and tablets and launched a new "authorization" system aimed at monitoring shipments of such hardware without harming supply in the market.

The new "import management system," which came into effect on Nov. 1, 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, officials said.

S. Krishnan, a senior official in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, said the aim is to "ensure that all this provides us with the data and information we need to ensure that we have a fully credible digital system".

On August 3, India introduced a licensing system for imports of laptops and tablets, but quickly postponed the decision after criticism from industry and Washington. The plan would have allowed the government to delay or deny import requests, while requiring a license for each shipment.

The decision came as a relief to global laptop makers such as Dell (DELL.N), Hewlett-Packard (HPE.N), Apple (AAPL.O), Samsung (005930.KS) and Lenovo (0992.HK), which had previously been uneasy. The sudden announcement of the licensing regime in August.

Between April and August, India's imports of electronics and software, including laptops, tablets and personal computers, reached $33.6 billion, up nearly 8 percent from last year.

The Indian Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA) said it "deeply appreciates the government's recent decision to maintain unrestricted imports of laptops and tablets".

In a statement, the industry body said, "Comprehensive and inclusive dialogues continue to bridge the gap between policy formulation and the reality on the ground."

Further steps can be taken after September 2024 on the basis of data collected, Krishnan said in a press release.