Digital loop carrier system (DLC)

Digital loop carrier systems for voice and data transmission

CPCB CLEARANCE · WPC CLEARANCE

HSN 8517 62 50 (Digital loop carrier system) is subject to Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) import licensing under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) authorisation under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022. Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) certification requirements apply under DoT notifications, and the tariff line is subject to ITC (HS) policy conditions 3 and 4 of Chapter 85 administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).

What this is

HSN code

8517 62 50

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

Primary regulator

WPC · Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017; CPCB · E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022

Customs documentation

Import licence or ETA certificate from WPC
EPR authorisation from CPCB
MTCTE certification from DoT

Applicable Partner Government Agencies

CPCBCPCB·Central Pollution Control Board

WPCWPC·Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing

Procedural directions for customs clearance are issued by: Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.

Compliance steps

1
Obtain the WPC Wing import licence or Equipment Type Approval (ETA) certificate before filing the bill of entry. For licence-exempt wireless equipment operating in low-power bands, apply through the SaralSanchar portal at least 30 days before shipment arrival; the system-generated self-declaration certificate is downloadable 48 hours after application and is accepted by customs authorities, whose officers may verify authenticity by scanning the QR code on the certificate.
CBIC Instruction 16/2022-CUS dated 21-07-2022 · CBIC Instruction 23/2021 dated 23-11-2021 · CBIC Instruction 24/2024-CUS dated 22-10-2024 · DoT OM F.No. R-11017/02/2021-PP dated 21-10-2021
2
Confirm that the DLC equipment holds mandatory MTCTE certification under the DoT Notifications TEC/01/2017-TC dated 04-07-2019 and 23-06-2020, as amended vide F.No. 5-2/2021-TC/TEC/131 dated 13-06-2022 and F.No. 5-2/2024-TC/TEC (Pt.1) dated 25-02-2025, for the relevant product category listed in the MTCTE notified product list. Non-certified equipment is barred from customs out-of-charge.
Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 · DoT Notification F.No. 5-2/2024-TC/TEC (Pt.1) dated 25-02-2025
3
Register for Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation with the Central Pollution Control Board under Schedule I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 before the first import. EPR authorisation is not required for micro-enterprises as defined under the MSME Development Act, 2006; all other importers must upload EPR credentials and comply with ITC (HS) policy conditions 3 and 4 of Chapter 85.
E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 · G.S.R. 801(E) dated 02-11-2022 · ITC (HS) policy conditions 3 and 4 of Chapter 85

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is conflating the WPC import licence with the MTCTE certification — they are independent pre-clearance requirements from separate DoT functions, and a DLC system that carries a valid WPC licence or ETA certificate but lacks MTCTE product certification will still be detained at the bill-of-entry stage. Additionally, importers who qualify for the SaralSanchar self-declaration route for licence-exempt equipment frequently overlook the 30-day advance application window, converting a routine clearance into a port-detention event with accruing demurrage.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8517 62 50 require BIS certification?

No. No BIS Quality Control Order covers digital loop carrier systems under this tariff line. Import is governed by Wireless Planning and Coordination licensing under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017, MTCTE certification under DoT notifications, and CPCB Extended Producer Responsibility authorisation under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022.

Can a DLC system be imported under the SaralSanchar self-declaration ETA route instead of a full WPC import licence?

Only if the equipment operates in a licence-exempt band with low transmission power as specified in DoT's letter ETA-WPC/Policy/2018-19 dated 12-04-2019 and R-11018/05/2019-PP dated 29-03-2019; equipment requiring a standard WPC import licence must go through the full licensing process and cannot use the self-declaration portal.

Are micro-enterprises exempt from the EPR authorisation requirement for this HSN?

Yes. EPR authorisation under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 does not apply to micro-enterprises as defined in the MSME Development Act, 2006; all other importers of telecommunications transmission equipment under Schedule I of those Rules must hold a current CPCB EPR authorisation before import.

Last verified against gazette notifications: 2026-05-16. Source: CPCB / WPC / DGFT / CBIC / Indian Customs CUSDATA.