Imports
Import guides by product
Basic customs duty, IGST, licences and where India buys from — for the goods small importers bring in most.
- guides
- 25
25 shown
Free to importFood and farm goodsAlmondsIndia’s largest dry-fruit import. Fixed duty per kg, FSSAI clearance at the port, almost all of it from the USA.Basic duty₹35/kgIndia imported 2025-26US$ 1.43 bn
Free to importFood and farm goodsPistachios10% basic duty, FSSAI clearance, supply from the USA, Iran, the UAE and Afghanistan.Basic duty10%India imported 2025-26US$ 262 mn
Free to importFood and farm goodsDates20% duty on soft and hard dates, 30% on fresh. The UAE and Iraq are the main suppliers.Basic duty20–30%India imported 2025-26US$ 341 mn
Free to importFood and farm goodsRaw cashew nuts (in shell)Raw material for India’s cashew processing units. 2.5% duty; most comes from West Africa and Tanzania.Basic duty2.5%India imported 2025-26US$ 2.29 bn
Free to importFood and farm goodsEdible oils (palm, soybean, sunflower)India’s biggest food import. Duty on crude oils was cut on 24 Sep 2026: 5% on crude palm and soybean, nil on crude sunflower.Basic duty5–27.5%India imported 2025-26US$ 19.1 bn
Free, with conditionsFood and farm goodsPulses (dals)Duty and policy differ by pulse: tur and urad are free and duty-free to Mar 2027; yellow peas pay 10% plus 20% AIDC.Basic duty0–5%India imported 2025-26US$ 3.63 bn
Free, with conditionsFood and farm goodsApples (fresh)15% basic duty plus 35% AIDC, and a minimum import price of Rs 50 per kg CIF.Basic duty15–50%India imported 2025-26US$ 317 mn
Free, with conditionsRaw materialsTimber logs5% basic duty. Plant quarantine permit and fumigation are the main hurdles. Australia, Malaysia and South America lead supply.Basic duty5%India imported 2025-26US$ 1.01 bn
Free, with conditionsRaw materialsWaste paper (recovered paper)Raw material for paper mills. 10% tariff duty, 2.5% for paper and newsprint mills under end-use conditions.Basic duty2.5–10%India imported 2025-26US$ 1.39 bn
Free to importRaw materialsPlastic granules (polymers in primary forms)Mostly 7.5% basic duty. BIS quality control orders on PE, PP and PVC were withdrawn in Nov 2025. Anti-dumping duty on bottle-grade PET from China.Basic duty5–7.5%India imported 2025-26US$ 11.6 bn
Free, with conditionsRaw materialsSteel sheets and coils (flat-rolled)7.5% basic duty plus an 11.5% safeguard duty until 20 Apr 2027. BIS licence and SIMS registration are compulsory.Basic duty7.5–15%India imported 2025-26US$ 2.78 bn
Free to importRaw materialsSynthetic woven and knitted fabricsDuty is usually “20% or a fixed rupee amount, whichever is higher”. China supplies more than half.Basic duty10–20%India imported 2025-26US$ 757 mn
Free to importElectronics and solarElectronic components (chips, diodes, transistors)Most chips, diodes and transistors enter duty-free; you mainly pay 18% IGST, which you can claim back as credit.Basic duty0–7.5%India imported 2025-26US$ 36.5 bn
Free to importElectronics and solarSolar cells and panelsModules pay 20% BCD plus 20% AIDC; cells 20% plus 7.5% AIDC. ALMM rules decide whether imported panels can be used in a project.Basic duty20%India imported 2025-26US$ 4.05 bn
Free to importElectronics and solarLithium-ion batteries and cellsTariff BCD 20%, effective 10% for most Li-ion batteries and 5% for cells used to make battery packs. BIS registration and battery EPR are compulsory.Basic duty5–20%India imported 2025-26US$ 4.7 bn
Free to importElectronics and solarLED lights and luminairesLuminaires pay 20% BCD plus 5% AIDC and 18% IGST. LED lamps and fittings need BIS registration and e-waste EPR.Basic duty20%India imported 2025-26US$ 464 mn
Restricted — authorisation neededElectronics and solarLaptops, tablets and computersNo basic customs duty, 18% IGST — but laptops and tablets are “Restricted” and need an online authorisation under DGFT’s Import Management System.Basic dutyNilIndia imported 2025-26US$ 6.73 bn
Free to importMachinery and partsTextile machineryMost textile machines pay 7.5% BCD and 18% IGST; specified shuttleless looms are duty-free until 31 March 2027.Basic duty5–7.5%India imported 2025-26US$ 2.94 bn
Free to importMachinery and partsAuto partsCar, bus and truck parts pay 15% BCD; tractor parts 10%. IGST is a uniform 18% on auto parts from 22 Sep 2025.Basic duty10–15%India imported 2025-26US$ 6.97 bn
Free to importMachinery and partsBall and roller bearingsBearings pay 7.5% BCD, SWS on top and 18% IGST. Fake branded bearings are the biggest risk.Basic duty7.5%India imported 2025-26US$ 1.57 bn
Free, with conditionsConsumer goodsToys70% BCD, no SWS, and every toy must carry the BIS mark under the Toys QCO. IGST is 5% for non-electronic toys, 18% for electronic toys.Basic duty70%India imported 2025-26US$ 95.7 mn
Free to importConsumer goodsFurniture20% BCD plus 5% AIDC and 18% IGST. The Furniture QCO, 2025 makes BIS certification compulsory for covered items.Basic duty20%India imported 2025-26US$ 637 mn
Free to importConsumer goodsCosmetics and skin care20% BCD, SWS and 18% IGST. Every imported cosmetic needs a CDSCO import registration certificate before it arrives.Basic duty20%India imported 2025-26US$ 484 mn
Free to importConsumer goodsMedical devices and instrumentsMostly 7.5% BCD and 5% IGST, plus a Health Cess. Every device needs a CDSCO import licence under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017.Basic duty5–7.5%India imported 2025-26US$ 3.1 bn
Free to importConsumer goodsCeramic sanitaryware10% BCD, SWS on top and 18% IGST. Breakage in transit and quality checks matter more than paperwork.Basic duty10%India imported 2025-26US$ 80.8 mn