Apple, Samsung, and HP have halted new imports of laptops and tablets to India after the government imposed a surprise ban on inbound shipments without a license.
Regulators’ move to make licenses mandatory for importing electronics caught the world’s biggest PC makers off-guard, affecting a range of products from small tablets to all-in-one PCs.
The laptop makers are now engaging with the central government to expedite the process of obtaining licenses, given the upcoming Diwali shopping season and back-to-school period in India.
The sudden licensing requirement has disrupted the multibillion-dollar trade in foreign PCs at a crucial time.