Other

Other apparatus for wireless network communication (parts, modules)

CPCB CLEARANCE · WPC CLEARANCE

HSN 8517 79 90 (Other apparatus for wireless network communication) is subject to Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) import licensing under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017, and mandatory type-certification under the Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment (MTCTE) framework notified by the Department of Telecommunications. Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) authorisation under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022 applies as a concurrent overlay, and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) administers an ITC (HS) prohibition on GSM/CDMA handsets without valid IMEI/ESN/MEID numbers.

What this is

HSN code

8517 79 90

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 from WPC
Equipment Type Approval from WPC
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
Apply to the WPC Wing of the Department of Telecommunications for an import licence or Equipment Type Approval (ETA) at least 30 days before shipment arrival. For licence-exempt low-power wireless devices, submit a self-declaration ETA certificate generated through the SaralSanchar portal (saralsanchar.gov.in); customs officers may verify the certificate 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 F.No. R-11017/02/2021-PP dated 21-10-2021
2
Confirm MTCTE mandatory certification for applicable product categories — including PABX, cordless telephones, modems, ISDN CPE, SDH equipment, multiplexing equipment, PON ONT/ONU/OLT and feedback devices — under the DoT notifications TEC/01/2017-TC dated 04-07-2019 and 23-06-2020, as amended by 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. Upload mandatory certification documents in e-Sanchit before filing the bill of entry.
Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017; CBIC Instruction 15/2020-CUS dated 24-07-2020; DoT notification F.No. 5-2/2024-TC/TEC (Pt.1) dated 25-02-2025
3
Obtain Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) authorisation from the Central Pollution Control Board for import of telephones, cordless telephones, cellular telephones and their parts or consumables listed under Schedule I of the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022. 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 importing low-power licence-exempt wireless devices under the assumption that no WPC interaction is required. Equipment Type Approval via SaralSanchar is still a mandatory pre-import step even for licence-exempt bands — a missing ETA certificate constitutes a violation of the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017 and the self-declaration certificate will be cancelled, exposing the consignment to detention and action under applicable law. Separately, importers of telephone parts must not conflate the MTCTE product-certification scope with the EPR obligation: both run independently and non-compliance with either attracts distinct enforcement.

Need a regulatory steer on this product?

Speak to a regulatory counsel about your specific HSN, IS, and supplier situation.

Speak to an Expert

Frequently asked

Does HSN 8517 79 90 require BIS certification?

No, this tariff line is not covered by a BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by Wireless Planning and Coordination licensing and MTCTE mandatory certification under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Rules, 2017, with a concurrent CPCB Extended Producer Responsibility obligation under the E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2022.

Is the WPC import licence always required, or can certain wireless devices be imported without it?

Wireless equipment operating in licence-exempt bands with low transmission power is exempted from the DGFT import licence requirement but must still obtain an Equipment Type Approval certificate via the SaralSanchar portal before import; non-licence-exempt devices require a full WPC import licence applied for at least 30 days before shipment arrival per DoT OM F.No. R-11017/02/2021-PP dated 21-10-2021.

Are GSM or CDMA handsets without an IMEI number permissible under this tariff line?

No. GSM/CDMA mobile handsets without a valid IMEI/ESN/MEID number, or bearing a fake or duplicate such number, are prohibited under the ITC (HS) import policy; consignments containing such devices are liable to seizure and confiscation.

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