The domestic notebook industry has called for a level-playing field to face severe competition from imports. It says the import of notebooks has gone up by five times in the first six months of the calendar year, putting pressure on the domestic players.
The size of imports went up to ₹22.36 crore during the January-June 2026 period as against ₹3.65 crore, a rise of over five times, according to the Ministry of Commerce data.
Industry players alleged that a sharp increase in cheaper imports is the result of the increase in domestic notebook prices. The shift to a nil GST rate on notebooks under GST 2.0 has created an unintended cost burden for domestic manufacturers. Since they can no longer claim input tax credit under Section 17(2) of the CGST Act, 2017, taxes paid on inputs such as raw materials are now getting embedded in the cost of production.
“Indian notebook manufacturers are not asking for protection from competition; they are asking for a fair and level playing field. The current tax structure has created an uneven situation where domestic manufacturers bear the burden of embedded input taxes, while imported notebooks can enter the Indian market with a significantly lower tax burden,” Abhinav Jain, Member, All India Notebook Manufacturers Association (AINMA), said.
To address this challenge, the domestic industry has called for urgent policy interventions, including a safeguard duty to support the Indian notebook manufacturing ecosystem.
Imported notebooks, particularly from ASEAN countries, enjoy a significantly different tax treatment. Under the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (AFTA), eligible notebook imports attract zero Basic Customs Duty (BCD), while the nil GST rate means there is no IGST payable on imports.
“This effectively gives overseas suppliers a much lower landed cost and enables them to compete with Indian manufacturers at a significant price advantage,” a domestic notebook maker has said.
The industry has urged the government to immediately consider a safeguard or compensatory import duty of 9 per cent to 10 per cent on notebook imports under ‘exercise books’. This duty will help neutralise the estimated input tax disadvantage faced by domestic manufacturers and restore a more competitive environment.
Published on August 19, 2026
