Matrices for production of records; prepared record blank

Unrecorded optical disc matrices and prepared record blanks

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 8523 41 30 (Matrices for production of records; prepared record blank) is subject to ITC (HS) import policy conditions administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37. Import of cinematographic films and related media — including content on compact video disc, laser video disc, or digital video disc — requires compliance with all applicable Indian laws governing film distribution and exhibition, including a certificate of public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952. Import of foreign reprints of Indian films requires prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

What this is

HSN code

8523 41 30

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy, Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37

Customs documentation

Certificate of public exhibition from CBFC
Prior written permission from Ministry of I&B
ITC (HS) policy compliance declaration to DGFT

Compliance steps

1
Confirm the imported media is not an unauthorised or pirated film. Where the consignment contains cinematographic or other film content — including on compact video disc, laser video disc, or digital video disc — the importer must obtain a certificate of public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 before filing the bill of entry.
Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapter 85 and Chapter 37 of ITC (HS)
2
Where the consignment constitutes a foreign reprint of an Indian film, obtain prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting before shipment. Entry without this permission results in consignment detention and potential confiscation under the ITC (HS) prohibition overlay.
Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapter 85 and Chapter 37 of ITC (HS)

A word of counsel

The most common error on this tariff line is classifying an unrecorded matrix or blank disc as a purely industrial input and overlooking the content-law overlay entirely. Even where the physical medium is nominally blank or a production-intermediate, any pre-loaded or embedded content — including a master lacquer, stamper, or test-pressed track — triggers the Cinematograph Act, 1952 exhibition-certificate requirement and the Ministry of I&B reprint-permission condition. Customs officers are empowered to detain and confiscate the consignment if content provenance cannot be demonstrated at the bill-of-entry stage.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8523 41 30 require BIS certification?

No, no BIS Quality Control Order covers unrecorded optical disc matrices or prepared record blanks. Import is governed by the ITC (HS) policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37, principally the Cinematograph Act, 1952 compliance overlay.

Does the Cinematograph Act certificate requirement apply to genuinely blank or unrecorded matrices with no film content?

The policy condition is triggered by the nature of the content, not the physical medium alone; a genuinely unrecorded industrial matrix with no film content does not attract the exhibition-certificate requirement, but the importer bears the burden of demonstrating that at customs.

What are the consequences of importing a foreign reprint of an Indian film without Ministry of I&B permission?

Import without prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is prohibited under Policy Condition No. 1 to Chapter 85, rendering the consignment liable to detention, confiscation, and prosecution under applicable Indian laws governing film distribution.

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