India bans imports of air conditioners containing refrigerants

The DGFT issued Notice No. 41/2015-2020 on 15 October 2020, banning the import of refrigerant-containing air conditioners (HS 84151010, 84151090), including Split systems and other types of air conditioners, effective from now on.

India's domestic air conditioning market is about $5-6 billion. In 2019-20, separated air conditioning imports account for Rs33.3 billion, while single-machine air conditioning imports account for Rs2.5 billion, mainly from mainland China and Thailand, accounting for more than 90%.The aim is to curb non-essential imports, boost local manufacturing and promote a self-sufficiency programme (Atma Nirbhar Bharat) that will benefit local air-conditioning manufacturers.

In addition, since June, the government has restricted imports of tyres, televisions and some defence equipment