India Extends IT Hardware Import Rules Till End of 2026, Gold Quota Opens

India has extended the Import Management System (IMS) for select information technology hardware by one more year, keeping it in force until December 31, 2026. The decision covers the import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, ultra-small form factor computers, and servers.

According to a circular issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), the online portal for submitting applications will remain open from December 22, 2025, to December 15, 2026. The DGFT also stated that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology may carry out a mid-term review of the system, if required, to provide updated inputs.

Any import authorisation granted under the IMS will remain valid until the end of 2026, and importers are permitted to file multiple applications during the year. The DGFT added that the government reserves the right to change, suspend, or withdraw the procedures at any time based on policy needs.

India first introduced import controls on these IT products in August 2023 to strengthen domestic manufacturing and monitoring. Separately, the DGFT has invited bids for the first round of gold import quota allocation under the India-UAE trade agreement for 2025–26, with the current tranche capped at 30 tonnes.

Source: The Economic Times