Electric Equipment Imported From China To Be Tested For Malware

The Indian government has decided to suspend imports of electrical products from China and other countries due to concerns over malware.

According to the report, now the government has decided that the import of compulsory items will be allowed for two to three years, at which time the government will create domestic structures for the manufacture of items in its own country without relying on others. For items and products already imported, the government will conduct a security check on them for any potential malware threats.

The Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy said in a high-level meeting that the government would stop importing solar modules, solar cells, solar inverters among the cheaper items to be imported.

Moreover, the government will impose a primary duty on these items. Previously, the government used to impose only 20 percent protection duty on solar items from China, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

But currently, imported solar panels will be subject to 20 percent primary duty from August 2020, making them more expensive.

The ministry further said that developers who place more emphasis on the use, production, and promotion of home appliances will be able to avail low-interest benefits from Power Finance Corporation (PFC), Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), and Indian Renewable Energy Development Corporation (IREDA).

The above decisions are in line with Atmanirvar’s India philosophy, which aims to promote domestic production and reduce imports into large-scale infrastructure projects.