Compliant Always
Get in touch

Exporting electrical and electronic products from India

Most consumer electronics leave India under the general rules, but items on the SCOMET list, India's dual-use export control list, need an authorisation or a general authorisation. Mass-market items with encryption can fall outside it under the Cryptography Note. The BIS appliance safety order does not apply to goods made in India for export.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Export controls
SCOMET List, Category 8 for electronics and information security
Mass-market encryption
Cryptography Note (Note 3, Category 8A5 Part 2)
Information security items
General Authorisation (GAEIS), three years
BIS appliance order
Not for goods made domestically for export
RCMC
Electronics and Computer Software EPC

Before the goods leave

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is the item, or a controlled component in it, on the SCOMET list? Read more
  2. 2If it uses encryption, does it meet the Cryptography Note, or fall under the general authorisation? Read more
  3. 3Does the exporter know or suspect a weapons or military end use? Read more
  4. 4Is the appliance made for export, or also sold in India under the BIS order? Read more
  5. 5Which council issues the RCMC, and which documents go with the shipment? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

SCOMET export controls

India's national export control list of dual-use items, munitions and nuclear-related items.

  • Export of dual-use items, including software and technology, is either prohibited or permitted under an authorisation unless specifically exempted (FTP para 10.02).
  • The SCOMET list has nine categories, 0 to 8. Category 8 covers special materials and related equipment, material processing, electronics, computers, telecommunications, information security, sensors and lasers, navigation and avionics, marine, aerospace and propulsion.
  • Under the Cryptography Note (Note 3 to Category 8A5 Part 2), the encryption controls do not apply to items generally sold to the public from stock at retail, whose cryptographic functionality the user cannot easily change, and which the user installs without substantial support from the supplier.
  • Information security controls do not apply to products accompanying their user for the user's personal use (Note 2).
  • Information security items (excluding technology) in Category 8A5 Part 2 may be exported under the General Authorisation for Export of Information Security items (GAEIS), Public Notice 53 of 27 March 2024, in place of an individual SCOMET authorisation.
  • Both new and used goods are subject to SCOMET controls, and goods with a controlled component that is their principal element remain controlled.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the SCOMET classification of each product, with the note it relies on, and any authorisation with the shipments it covers. Ask about this

The catch-all provision

Controls can reach items that are not on the list.

  • Chapter IVA of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992 applies the Weapons of Mass Destruction Act, 2005 to exports, transfers, transit, trans-shipment and brokering of specified goods.
  • If DGFT has notified the exporter in writing, or the exporter knows or has reason to believe that an item not on the SCOMET list risks use in or diversion to weapons of mass destruction, their missile systems or a military end use, its export may be denied.
  • India implements UN Security Council non-proliferation sanctions and arms embargoes, and DGFT advises companies in strategic trade to keep internal compliance measures.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the end-user and end-use declarations with the shipment they belong to, dated. Ask about this

BIS appliance safety order and exports

India's compulsory BIS certification for household appliances, and its exemption for exports.

  • The Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2025 requires listed appliances to conform to Indian Standards and carry the BIS Standard Mark from 19 March 2026. It covers appliances rated up to 250 V single-phase or 480 V otherwise, including battery-operated ones.
  • Its proviso: "nothing in this order shall apply to goods or articles manufactured domestically for export."

How we help: Compliant Always records which lots are made for export and which for India, and keeps the BIS licence with the lots that need it. Ask about this

RCMC, origin and shipping documents

The general rules every export from India meets.

  • An RCMC is needed to apply for an authorisation or other benefit under the Foreign Trade Policy. DGFT's list of councils gives the Electronics and Computer Software EPC for consumer electronics and electronic components, and the Telecom Equipment and Services EPC for telecom equipment.
  • No export or import of goods is made without an Importer-Exporter Code (IEC) unless specifically exempted (FTP 2023, para 2.05).
  • The IEC is a 10-character code, the same as the firm's PAN, issued separately by DGFT on an online application.
  • The IEC holder updates its details online every year between April and June; an IEC not updated is de-activated.
  • Mandatory export documents are the bill of lading, airway bill or other transport receipt; the commercial invoice cum packing list; and the shipping bill or bill of export (FTP 2023, para 2.06).
  • The shipping bill is an electronic declaration in the Indian Customs EDI System, entered by the exporter or an authorised customs broker through ICEGATE or a service centre.
  • Where goods carry restrictions or need an NOC under another law, the regulator may notify additional export documents.
  • Certificates of origin for exports from India are issued only by agencies DGFT has authorised, and only through trade.gov.in (FTP para 2.62; HBP para 2.90).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the RCMC, shipping bill and certificate of origin with each shipment's record, so an importer's question can be answered from it. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ExporterClassifying the goods against the SCOMET list, any authorisation, the IEC and the shipping bill.Classifications and authorisations kept with the shipments they cover.
ManufacturerThe technical details of encryption and components that the classification rests on, and the BIS licence for goods sold in India.Specifications kept with each product, ready for the exporter's classification.
DGFTSCOMET authorisations and general authorisations for the categories in its jurisdiction, and written notice under the catch-all provision.Authorisations read against the shipments they cover.
Customs brokerEntering the shipping bill electronically for the exporter.The shipment's documents available from one record.

Where are the goods going?

Most of what electrical and electronic products have to meet is set where they are sold. Each guide sets out the rules on arrival, with the official source for each.

Questions businesses ask

Do consumer electronics need an export licence from India?
Only if the item is on the SCOMET list or caught by the catch-all provision. SCOMET items are prohibited or exported under an authorisation unless specifically exempted. Category 8 covers electronics, computers, telecommunications and information security.
Does a phone or laptop with encryption need a SCOMET authorisation?
Not if it meets the Cryptography Note: sold to the public from stock at retail, with cryptography the user cannot easily change, and installed by the user without substantial supplier support.
Is there a general licence for information security items?
Yes. The General Authorisation for Export of Information Security items (GAEIS), Public Notice 53 of 27 March 2024, covers Category 8A5 Part 2 items other than technology; DGFT's 2026 handbook gives it a validity of three years.
What is India's catch-all provision for exports?
If DGFT notifies the exporter in writing, or the exporter knows or has reason to believe an unlisted item may go to weapons of mass destruction, missiles or a military end use, its export may be denied.
Do controls apply to devices carried for personal use?
Note 2 to Category 8A5 Part 2 says the information security controls do not apply to products accompanying their user for the user's personal use.
Are used electronics covered by SCOMET?
Yes. DGFT's handbook says both new and used goods are subject to SCOMET controls.
Do appliances made in India for export need the BIS mark?
Not under the Safety of Household, Commercial and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2025, which does not apply to goods manufactured domestically for export.
Which council issues an RCMC for electronics exporters?
DGFT's list gives the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council for consumer electronics and components, and the Telecom Equipment and Services EPC for telecom equipment.
Do I need an IEC to export electronics?
Yes. No export of goods is made without an Importer-Exporter Code unless specifically exempted, and the IEC is updated online every year between April and June.
How does Compliant Always help with exporting from India?
Our team reads the rules for the routes you ship. Compliant Always shows which export documents apply to your product, keeps them with the shipment beside what the destination asks for, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in India and what your paperwork needs to show.

Get in touch

No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

Get in touch