Video cassettes

Magnetic tape video cassettes for recording or playback

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 8523 29 20 (Video cassettes) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), with import conditional on compliance with all applicable Indian laws governing the distribution and exhibition of films, including a certificate of public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952. Import of unauthorised or pirated films is absolutely prohibited, and foreign reprints of Indian films require prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

What this is

HSN code

8523 29 20

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) policy condition 1 to Chapter 85 and 37; Cinematograph Act, 1952

Customs documentation

Certificate of public exhibition from CBFC
Import compliance declaration from DGFT
MIB prior permission from Ministry of I and B

Compliance steps

1
Before filing the bill of entry, ensure the imported film content on video cassette holds a valid certificate of public exhibition issued under the Cinematograph Act, 1952. Import of any unauthorised or pirated film content is prohibited and attracts confiscation of the consignment.
Policy condition 1 to Chapter 85 and 37 of ITC (HS) Import Policy; Cinematograph Act, 1952
2
If the video cassette carries a foreign reprint of an Indian film, obtain prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting before the consignment is shipped. Arrival without this permission renders the goods liable to seizure and confiscation at the port of entry.
Policy condition 1 to Chapter 85 and 37 of ITC (HS) Import Policy

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is importing video cassettes containing film content — whether recorded or blank-format media supplied with a recorded sample — without first confirming that every title present in the consignment carries a Cinematograph Act exhibition certificate. Customs officers treat absence of a certificate as prima facie evidence of unauthorised film import, triggering immediate detention and confiscation proceedings under the ITC (HS) prohibition, independent of any duty payment or bond execution.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8523 29 20 require BIS certification?

No, video cassettes under this tariff line fall outside the BIS Quality Control Order regime. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, with film-content compliance mandated under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 and policy condition 1 to Chapter 85 and 37.

Does the Cinematograph Act exhibition certificate requirement apply to blank video cassettes as well as pre-recorded ones?

The policy condition expressly covers cinematographic films and other films including content on video tape; blank cassettes carrying no film content do not require an exhibition certificate, but any consignment containing recorded film titles must carry the certificate for each title.

What happens if a foreign reprint of an Indian film is imported without Ministry of Information and Broadcasting permission?

The consignment is subject to seizure and confiscation under the ITC (HS) prohibition; the policy condition explicitly bars import of foreign reprints of Indian films without prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

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