India is expected to limit imports of laptops, tablets and personal computers after January, two government sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, a move to push companies such as Apple to increase domestic manufacturing.

This plan, if implemented, could disrupt an industry worth $8 billion (roughly Rs. 71,464 crore) to $10 billion (roughly Rs. 84,070 crore) and reshape the dynamics of the IT hardware market in India, which is heavily reliant on imports.

A similar plan to restrict imports was withdrawn last year following backlash from companies and lobbying from the United States. India has since monitored imports under a system set to expire this year and has asked firms to seek fresh approvals for imports next year.

The government feels it has given the industry enough time to adapt, said the sources, who did not want to be identified as discussions are private.

One of the sources said New Delhi will begin consultations with all sides starting next week. It could delay implementing the import restrictions by a few months if needed, the source added.

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is working on a new import authorisation system, where companies will have to get prior approvals for their imports, one of the two sources said.

Under the current regime, laptop importers are free to bring in as many devices after an automated online registration.

The industry is dominated by the likes of HP, Dell, Apple, Lenovo, and Samsung, with two-thirds of Indian demand being currently met through imports, a significant amount from China. India’s IT hardware market, including laptops, is estimated at nearly $20 billion (roughly Rs. 1,68,141 crore), of which $5 billion (roughly Rs. 42,035 crore) is domestic production, according to consultancy Mordor Intelligence.

The government is considering minimum quality standards under its ‘compulsory registration order’ for laptops, notebooks and tablets, as one of the ways to weed out low quality devices, the officials said.

“We are working on such restrictions as global treaties stop us from any tariff action on laptops and tablets. It leaves us with few policy options to limit imports,” the second official said.

The federal electronics ministry did not respond to request for comment. The trade ministry said an appropriate decision on the import management system would be taken after consultation with the electronics ministry and other stakeholders.

Such a move will benefit contract manufacturers such as Dixon Technologies who have entered separate pacts with global firms like HP to make laptops and computers in India. Dixon aims to cater to 15 percent of India’s total demand.

Local Production

Limits to India’s imports should be calibrated based on India’s domestic production capacity, an industry source who is part of the government’s consultations said.

The nation’s key production incentive scheme for IT hardware has drawn participation from global firms including Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Most of the approved participants are ready to start manufacturing, India’s electronic minister said last year.

India has federal subsidies worth nearly $2.01 billion (roughly Rs. 17,655 crore) to promote domestic production.

Data from research firm Counterpoint shows imports of laptops completely assembled abroad in the first five months of 2024 fell four percent from a year earlier, with firms such as Lenovo and Acer increasing local assembly for entry-level laptops.

India has been long emphasised the need for “trusted sources” for electronics and communication devices amid growing concerns over cyberattacks and data theft.

In 2022, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India should cut reliance on foreign countries for communication technology such as servers.

India will implement mandatory testing of “essential security parameters” for all CCTV cameras from April 2025.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

India is expected to limit imports of laptops, tablets and personal computers after January, two government sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, a move to push companies such as Apple to increase domestic manufacturing.

This plan, if implemented, could disrupt an industry worth $8 billion (roughly Rs. 71,464 crore) to $10 billion (roughly Rs. 84,070 crore) and reshape the dynamics of the IT hardware market in India, which is heavily reliant on imports.

A similar plan to restrict imports was withdrawn last year following backlash from companies and lobbying from the United States. India has since monitored imports under a system set to expire this year and has asked firms to seek fresh approvals for imports next year.

The government feels it has given the industry enough time to adapt, said the sources, who did not want to be identified as discussions are private.

One of the sources said New Delhi will begin consultations with all sides starting next week. It could delay implementing the import restrictions by a few months if needed, the source added.

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) is working on a new import authorisation system, where companies will have to get prior approvals for their imports, one of the two sources said.

Under the current regime, laptop importers are free to bring in as many devices after an automated online registration.

The industry is dominated by the likes of HP, Dell, Apple, Lenovo, and Samsung, with two-thirds of Indian demand being currently met through imports, a significant amount from China. India’s IT hardware market, including laptops, is estimated at nearly $20 billion (roughly Rs. 1,68,141 crore), of which $5 billion (roughly Rs. 42,035 crore) is domestic production, according to consultancy Mordor Intelligence.

The government is considering minimum quality standards under its ‘compulsory registration order’ for laptops, notebooks and tablets, as one of the ways to weed out low quality devices, the officials said.

“We are working on such restrictions as global treaties stop us from any tariff action on laptops and tablets. It leaves us with few policy options to limit imports,” the second official said.

The federal electronics ministry did not respond to request for comment. The trade ministry said an appropriate decision on the import management system would be taken after consultation with the electronics ministry and other stakeholders.

Such a move will benefit contract manufacturers such as Dixon Technologies who have entered separate pacts with global firms like HP to make laptops and computers in India. Dixon aims to cater to 15 percent of India’s total demand.

Local Production

Limits to India’s imports should be calibrated based on India’s domestic production capacity, an industry source who is part of the government’s consultations said.

The nation’s key production incentive scheme for IT hardware has drawn participation from global firms including Acer, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. Most of the approved participants are ready to start manufacturing, India’s electronic minister said last year.

India has federal subsidies worth nearly $2.01 billion (roughly Rs. 17,655 crore) to promote domestic production.

Data from research firm Counterpoint shows imports of laptops completely assembled abroad in the first five months of 2024 fell four percent from a year earlier, with firms such as Lenovo and Acer increasing local assembly for entry-level laptops.

India has been long emphasised the need for “trusted sources” for electronics and communication devices amid growing concerns over cyberattacks and data theft.

In 2022, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India should cut reliance on foreign countries for communication technology such as servers.

India will implement mandatory testing of “essential security parameters” for all CCTV cameras from April 2025.

© Thomson Reuters 2024

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Lenovo has launched a trio of Windows laptops — ThinkBook 16 Gen 7, IdeaPad 5X 2-in-1, and IdeaPad Slim 5X — at the IFA 2024 in Berlin, Germany. The latest laptops run on Snapdragon X Plus 8-core chipset and have Copilot+ designation that offers access to several AI features. The ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 has an 84Wh battery while the IdeaPad 5X 2-in-1 and IdeaPad Slim 5X are equipped with a 57Wh battery.

Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7, IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1, IdeaPad Slim 5x Price

The price of Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 will start from EUR 819 (roughly Rs. 76,400). It will be available for purchase from next month in a single Luna Grey finish.

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x will go official later this month with starting price tags of EUR 999 (roughly Rs. 93,200) and EUR 899 (roughly Rs. 83,800) , respectively. The former is offered in a Luna grey colourway while the latter will be available in Abyss Blue and Cloud Grey shades.

Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 Specifications

Lenovo’s new ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 is armed with an octa-core Snapdragon X Plus CPU with integrated Adreno GPU and Qualcomm Hexagon NPU with up to 45 TOPS (trillion operations per second) for accelerating AI tasks. It packs up to 32GB storage and up to 1TB SSD storage. Users can choose between two 16-inch screens — a WQXGA 2.5K IPS display with 350nits and a WUXGA IPS display — with 300nits with 91.3 percent screen-to-body ratio. The Copilot+ PC ships with up to Windows 11 Pro.

Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7
Photo Credit: Lenovo

 

Designed for working professionals, the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 boasts a full-HD RGB camera with a webcam privacy shutter. It packs an 84Wh battery with 65W charging support via USB Type-C port. The battery is claimed to deliver multi-day battery life on a single charge.

Other key features of the Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 include two Dolby Atmos speakers, a fingerprint scanner in the power button, a Kensington lock, and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity. The laptop also includes two 10Gbps USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports (5Gbps), an HDMI 2.1 port, a headphone and microphone combo port, and a four-in-one SD card reader.

The Lenovo ThinkBook 16 Gen 7 measures 356.4 x 248.4 x 16.7mm and weighs 1.82 kilograms.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x, IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 Specifications

Both Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x and IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 run on the newly launched Snapdragon X Plus 8-core CPU with Adreno GPU and Qualcomm Hexagon NPU with up to 45 TOPS (trillion operations per second). They have a Windows 11 operating system and feature a full-HD RGB camera with a privacy shutter. The two ideaPad models sport a pair of 2W speakers and have Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. They have a 57Wh battery.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x
Photo Credit: Lenovo

 

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1 comes with a 14-inch WUXGA (1,200×1,920 pixels) multi-touch display with a 16:10 aspect ratio, 400nits peak brightness, and 60Hz refresh rate. This convertible Copilot+ PC is packed with 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage. The convertible laptop has two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, an audio jack, and a microSD card reader. The laptop has MIL-STD-810H rated durability and it measures 313 x 227 x17.5mm and weighs 1.5 kilograms.

Lenovo
Photo Credit: Lenovo IdeaPad 5x 2-in-1

 

Lenovo’s IdeaPad Slim 5x packs up to 14-inch WUXGA OLED display with 400nits peak brightness and 60Hz refresh rate and TÜV low blue light certification. The Copilot PC+PC features a USB Type-C port, two USB Type-A ports, an HDMI 2.1 port, an audio jack, and a microSD card reader. It has a MIL-STD-810H durability rating as well.

The IdeaPad Slim 5x as the name suggests has a 1.48-kilogram lightweight build, it measures 312 x 221 x16.9mm.