IMARC Engineering Expands WPC Import License and Wireless Equipment Approval Support Across India

Noida, India – October 19, 2026: IMARC Engineering is expanding its WPC Import License consultancy and wireless equipment approval support in India, assisting importers, electronics manufacturers, technology companies, distributors, and international businesses with regulatory requirements for wireless-enabled products entering the Indian market.

The expansion follows two regulatory shifts that have changed how wireless equipment reaches the Indian market: a move to self-declaration for licence-exempt Equipment Type Approval, and the opening of the lower 6 GHz band to licence-free use.

The Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) administers wireless equipment regulation in India, including Equipment Type Approval (ETA), applicable import permissions, and spectrum authorisations.

The Lower 6 GHz Band Is Now Licence-Exempt

On 21 January 2026, the DoT notified rules exempting low power indoor and very low power outdoor wireless access systems, including radio local area networks, in the 5925–6425 MHz band from licensing requirements. The rules followed draft regulations issued in May 2025.

Roughly 500 MHz of mid-band spectrum became available for licence-free use on a shared, non-interference and non-protection basis: devices cannot claim protection from licensed users or cause them harmful interference.

For importers, this is a material change in product scope. Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 equipment operating in the 6 GHz band previously had no clear licence-exempt pathway in India. Routers, access points, laptops, smartphones, extended-reality headsets and enterprise networking equipment built for that band now sit inside the exempt framework, subject to the technical limits in the rules.

Businesses holding approvals issued before this change should reassess which models the widened exemption now covers.

Consult With Our Experts: https://www.imarcengineering.com/contact?service=regulatory-approval-and-licensing&subservice=wpc-import-license 

ETA by Self-Declaration: How the Route Works

A WPC Office Memorandum dated 9 September 2024 extended self-declaration-based ETA processing to wireless equipment covered by licence-exemption notifications. The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs implemented the position at the border through Instruction No. 24/2024-Customs dated 22 October 2024, which modified its earlier Instruction 16/2022-Customs.

Under this route, applicants file on the SARAL Sanchar portal with the prescribed documents and fee, and download the ETA certificate from the portal once granted.

One point in the customs instruction deserves attention: ETA holders remain responsible for obtaining a No Objection Certificate or other clearances from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade where applicable, and for complying with DGFT import regulations in full.

An ETA is therefore not, by itself, permission to import. It establishes radio-frequency conformity. Import entitlement is a separate question governed by import policy.

WPC Equipment Type Approval and Import Licensing Are Different

This distinction is where most compliance failures originate.

Equipment Type Approval, often referred to as WPC ETA Certification, addresses conformity of wireless equipment with applicable radio-frequency requirements. For eligible licence-exempt devices, it proceeds by self-declaration.

Import licensing — a WPC Import License in India — addresses permission to bring equipment into India where wireless and import-policy requirements demand it.

Products operating in permitted licence-exempt bands may qualify for ETA without a separate WPC import licence, subject to applicable conditions. Other equipment requires an import licence, frequency authorisation, or additional permissions. Establishing which route applies — before shipment — is what prevents documentation discrepancies and consignments held at customs.

Which Wireless Products Require WPC Approval

WPC approvals apply across products carrying radio-frequency transmission: Bluetooth devices, Wi-Fi equipment, speakers and headphones, smartwatches and accessories, connected industrial devices, IoT equipment and communication systems.

The presence of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi functionality does not by itself mean a separate licence is required; for eligible products in permitted licence-exempt bands, the ETA self-declaration route may apply. Specialised equipment — certain satellite communication devices, drones, radar systems, and other regulated wireless products — falls outside the standard self-declaration procedure and needs separate assessment.

Importers should evaluate individual models rather than applying one assumption across a portfolio: a single variation in wireless module or frequency band can change the applicable route.

RF Testing and Technical Documentation

Radio-frequency test reports demonstrating operating frequency, transmission characteristics and related technical parameters are central to ETA applications.

Supporting documentation typically includes product specifications, technical literature, manufacturer authorisation, and details of incorporated wireless modules — which, where a product carries multiple RF modules, must represent the actual configuration.

Manufacturers introducing several models should confirm whether existing test reports and approvals genuinely cover each proposed configuration. Assuming that an approval obtained for one configuration extends to related models is among the most common causes of rejection.

The WPC Approval Process

The WPC approval process in India begins with regulatory classification: product category, operating frequencies, wireless technologies, and intended application.

The next step establishes whether the product operates within bands permitted for licence-exempt use — a set that has widened with the lower 6 GHz rules — and whether the ETA self-declaration procedure is available.

Where ETA applies, applicants prepare the prescribed technical documentation, complete the online application on SARAL Sanchar, and pay the applicable fee. Equipment requiring separate import licensing or spectrum authorisation needs additional documents and permissions.

Portal requirements, conditions and documentation should be verified before submission, since both the exemption lists and the procedural framework have changed more than once in two years.

Documents Required for WPC Import License Applications

Requirements depend on the equipment and authorisation category. Information typically includes company registration details, importer identification, product descriptions, technical specifications, manufacturer details, purchase orders, invoices, and existing wireless authorisations.

Supporting documents may include ETA certificates, frequency-assignment permissions, technical literature, or authorisation letters, with ETA applications additionally requiring RF test reports and manufacturer authorisation for an Indian representative. No universal checklist applies, because requirements differ between ETA, import licensing, and other wireless permissions — so the application category should be established before documentation is assembled.

WPC Approval Does Not Cover Other Product Compliance

Wireless equipment is frequently subject to requirements beyond WPC authorisation: BIS registration or certification, telecommunications equipment certification, electrical and product-safety obligations, labelling requirements, customs regulations, and DGFT import conditions.

A wireless-enabled consumer electronics product may need separate assessment under an applicable BIS compulsory-registration scheme, while certain telecommunications equipment attracts additional technical certification. Map the complete framework rather than treating WPC approval as the whole requirement.

Where Importers Encounter Difficulty

The recurring problems are incorrect frequency classification, incomplete RF test reports, mismatches between product specifications and submitted documents, missing manufacturer authorisations, and uncertainty over import-policy requirements.

Assessment grows harder where equipment carries multiple wireless technologies or spans several bands, and where overseas manufacturers, testing laboratories, Indian representatives, customs brokers and regulators must all be coordinated.

How WPC Import License Consultants Assist

Professional WPC Import License Consultants in India determine which approvals apply to specific equipment — applicability assessment, frequency-band review, ETA eligibility, document verification and application preparation — organise product-wise compliance information for multi-product importers, and clarify Indian requirements for overseas manufacturers before dispatch. Consultants support the application; the competent authority issues the authorisation.

IMARC Engineering's WPC Import License Services

IMARC Engineering provides WPC Import License Consultancy Services in India to electronics manufacturers, importers, distributors, industrial equipment suppliers, technology companies, and businesses introducing wireless-enabled products into the Indian market.

Support covers applicability assessment, WPC ETA requirements, RF technical-document review, manufacturer documentation coordination, import-licensing assistance and application readiness, alongside related product-compliance obligations where additional approvals apply. Through its wider regulatory practice, the firm coordinates wireless compliance with product sourcing, import planning, manufacturing and market entry.

Service details: https://www.imarcengineering.com/services/regulatory-approval-and-licensing/wpc-import-license

Discuss a specific product or consignment: https://www.imarcengineering.com/contact-us

About IMARC Engineering

IMARC Engineering provides engineering, regulatory approval, licensing, manufacturing, and project advisory services to businesses establishing, expanding, and operating in India, spanning regulatory compliance, technical documentation, industrial licensing, product certification support, supplier identification, and manufacturing plant setup. The firm works with domestic manufacturers, international businesses, investors, importers, and industrial organisations.

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