Populated, loaded or stuffed printed circuit boards

Populated printed circuit boards for telecom and wireless apparatus

CPCB CLEARANCE · WPC CLEARANCE

HSN 8517 79 10 (Populated, loaded or stuffed printed circuit boards) is subject to Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) import licensing or Equipment Type Approval (ETA) under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017, and to mandatory certification under the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) framework administered by the Department of Telecommunications. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) authorisation under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 applies as an additional overlay, along with Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) ITC (HS) policy controls.

What this is

HSN code

8517 79 10

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

Primary regulator

WPC · Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017

Customs documentation

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

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 WPC import licensing or an Equipment Type Approval (ETA) certificate for the specific wireless product before filing the bill of entry. For licence-exempt, low-power wireless equipment, apply through the SaralSanchar portal (saralsanchar.gov.in) at least 30 days before shipment arrival; the system-generated ETA certificate is downloadable 48 hours after application and is accepted by customs authorities, who may verify authenticity by scanning the embedded QR code.
Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 · CBIC Instruction 16/2022-CUS dated 21-07-2022 · CBIC Instruction 23/2021 dated 23-11-2021 · DoT OM F.No. R-11017/02/2021-PP dated 21-10-2021
2
Confirm mandatory MTCTE certification for any telecom product in the notified list — including executive telephone systems, NSD/ISD payphones, electronic telephone instruments, key telephone systems, modems, G3 fax machines, ISDN CPE, cordless telephones, PABX, SDH equipment, multiplexing equipment, PON ONT/ONU/OLT, and feedback devices — and upload the certification at the bill of entry stage. The applicable notification references are 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.
Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 · DoT Notification TEC/01/2017-TC dated 04-07-2019 and 23-06-2020 · CBIC Instruction 15/2020-CUS dated 24-07-2020 · CBIC Instruction 24/2024-CUS dated 22-10-2024
3
Obtain CPCB Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) authorisation for import of parts, consumables, or spares of telephones, pay telephones, cordless telephones, and cellular telephones listed under Schedule I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022, before filing the bill of entry. EPR authorisation is not required for micro-enterprises as defined under the MSMED Act, 2006.
E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 · G.S.R. 801(E) dated 02-11-2022

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is conflating the WPC import licence route with the ETA self-declaration route: the ETA via SaralSanchar applies only to licence-exempt, low-transmission-power wireless equipment — regulated wireless equipment still requires a full WPC import licence, and presenting an ETA certificate for a licensable product will result in consignment detention. Additionally, populated PCBs intended as spares for cellular telephones fall within the CPCB EPR obligation even when imported in small quantities; the micro-enterprise exemption requires documented Udyam registration and must be established at the bill of entry, not claimed retrospectively.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8517 79 10 require BIS certification?

No, no BIS Quality Control Order covers populated printed circuit boards under this tariff line. Import is governed by Wireless Planning and Coordination licensing and MTCTE certification under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017, with a CPCB EPR authorisation overlay under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022.

Can the ETA certificate obtained through SaralSanchar replace the WPC import licence for all wireless PCBs?

No. The SaralSanchar self-declaration ETA is valid only for wireless equipment operating in a licence-exempt band with low transmission power; products outside that category require a WPC import licence, and customs officers can verify the ETA scope by scanning the QR code on the certificate per CBIC Instruction 23/2021 dated 23-11-2021.

Are GSM or CDMA mobile handset PCBs with no IMEI or a duplicate IMEI number permitted under this HSN?

No. GSM/CDMA mobile handsets — and by extension their PCBs — without a valid IMEI/ESN/MEID number, or bearing a fake or duplicate number, are prohibited under the ITC (HS) import policy and are liable to seizure at the bill of entry stage.

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