Other

Unrecorded optical and magnetic media, other types

DGFT CLEARANCE

HSN 8523 41 90 (unrecorded optical, magnetic and solid-state media, other) is subject to the ITC (HS) import policy administered by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under policy condition no. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37. Any media intended to carry cinematographic or other film content must comply with the Cinematograph Act, 1952, including a certificate of public exhibition, and 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 90

Chapter

85 · Electrical machinery and equipment and parts thereof

Primary regulator

DGFT · ITC (HS) import policy condition no. 1, Chapters 85 and 37

Customs documentation

Policy condition declaration from DGFT
Exhibition certificate from Ministry of I&B
Prior permission from Ministry of I&B

Compliance steps

1
Confirm that no unauthorized or pirated film content is carried on the imported media. Where the media contains cinematographic or other film content, the importer must obtain a certificate of public exhibition under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 before the bill of entry is filed.
Policy condition no. 1 to Chapter 85 and 37 of ITC (HS) · Cinematograph Act, 1952
2
If the consignment consists of foreign reprints of Indian films on any format — including video tape, compact video disc, laser video disc, or digital video disc — obtain prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting before shipment. Entry without this permission is prohibited and renders the consignment liable to confiscation.
Policy condition no. 1 to Chapter 85 and 37 of ITC (HS)

A word of counsel

The most common misread on this tariff line is treating 8523 41 90 as a straightforward unrecorded-media entry and overlooking the content-based restrictions that attach the moment the media carries film. Whether the disc or tape is pre-loaded or blank at import is relevant to the certificate-of-exhibition requirement, but the prohibition on pirated content and the prior-permission requirement for foreign reprints of Indian films are triggered by the nature of the content, not merely by the classification — customs officers are empowered to examine content at point of entry.

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Frequently asked

Does HSN 8523 41 90 require BIS certification?

No, unrecorded optical and magnetic media under this tariff line are not covered by any BIS Quality Control Order. Import is governed by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under policy condition no. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37 of the ITC (HS), with content-based conditions under the Cinematograph Act, 1952.

Does the certificate of public exhibition requirement apply to all media imported under this HSN?

The certificate requirement under the Cinematograph Act, 1952 applies specifically where the imported media carries cinematographic or other film content, including content on video tape, compact video disc, laser video disc, or digital video disc — not to genuinely blank, unrecorded media.

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

Import of foreign reprints of Indian films without prior written permission from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is prohibited under policy condition no. 1 to Chapters 85 and 37; the consignment is subject to confiscation and may attract further enforcement under applicable Indian film-distribution laws.

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