Govt does away with compulsory registration to import electronic integrated circuits

New Delhi: India on Friday discontinued the requirement of compulsory registration to import electronic integrated circuits - processors and controllers, electronic integrated circuits – memories, and electronic integrated circuits - amplifiers under the Chip Imports Monitoring System (CHIMS).

The government, had in August 2021, mandated importers to submit advance information in an online system for inbound shipments of these products and obtain an automatic registration number by paying fee.

“The requirement of compulsory registration under CHIMS…has been "Discontinued", with immediate effect,” Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.


India imported $12.2 billion of these products in April-September FY25, with China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea being the top sources.

The government had earlier made a similar process for imports of several iron and steel goods, coal, and aluminium, copper items, in an attempt to reduce import of unnecessary goods and boost domestic manufacturing.

Integrated circuits and PCs are among the 102 priority items that the government had identified last year, imports of which are high and seen as needing immediate intervention for domestic production opportunities. Imports of gold, natural gas, crude palm oil, integrated circuits, personal computers, insulin injections, cameras, urea, antibiotics, turbo-jets, lithium-ion accumulators, refined copper, machines and mechanical appliances comprised 57.66% of India’s total imports, according to an analysis by the commerce department last year.