The Government of India on Thursday curbed the import of laptops, tablets and personal computers (PCs). Now the agency will have to take a license from the government to import them. A new information is coming about this. The central government has taken the step of requiring a license for the import of laptops, tablets and personal computers (PCs) with the intention of keeping these foreign devices safe from IT hardware equipped with security flaws. Sources gave this information on Friday. Sources familiar with the development said that the requirement of license for import of laptops, tablets and all-in-one PCs will not affect their availability in the domestic market as there is sufficient manufacturing capacity of these computer equipment within the country.
According to sources, the government has taken this step with the intention of ensuring availability of ‘free, secure, reliable and accountable’ internet in the country for all users. Due to the spread of internet, more number of Indian citizens are coming on online platform, hence the cyber risk has also increased for them. In such a situation, using laptops and tablets with security flaws such as hardware backdoors and dangerous malware for security in IT hardware can put users’ sensitive personal and business information at risk. Secure devices are a fundamental requirement for ensuring online safety. Sources said that the government has made license necessary for the import of laptops, tablets and PCs with the intention of safeguarding the security interests of India and its people. Along with this, sources said that it is not a ban on the import of these products and any company or businessman can import them by taking a license from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.