India ready to consider lower import duties on high-end mobile phones

India has proposed to the US that it could consider lowering import duties on high-end mobile phones as part of the trade deal being worked out by the two governments. However, it can’t bring down import levies on cheap phones as it could hurt domestic manufacturers, a government official has said.

“One of the big demands made by the US is that India should revoke the 20 per cent import duties on mobile phones that it imposed over the last couple of years. In response, Indian officials said that duty cuts or elimination on high-end phones, say over ₹50,000, could be considered,” an official told BusinessLine.