Get ETA License to import wireless products in India

Author: Jatin Rohatgi

Equipment Type approval is the permission you require if you wish to either promote or import wireless products in India. The WPC department issues this particular approval. Anyone wireless product that hasn’t been certified by this "WPC" Department or works in the de-licensed frequency bands has to first obtain the approval by obtaining the ETA certificate.

What is the scope of Equipment Type Approval

Products that fall under the governance of Wireless Planning Commission (WPC) that have to go through the ETA approval are as follows:

  • Mobile Phones
  • RF-ID
  • Bluetooth Devices
  • Wi-Fi Technology
  • and other products that belong with the wireless domain.

Is the equipment type approval required for ALL products?

Not really. If the product you’re trying to import works within the frequency bands that WPC has termed as "license fee", you won’t need to obtain the WPC Certificate

The points mentioned above are the bare essentials that you need to know about ETA approval in India. Let’s dive in and know more about it.

How does one get the ETA Approval?

The process of getting the ETA approval is as simple as you’d expect. It involves:

  • Application filing: The process that constitutes of you filing the application form.
  • Application’s assessment: the WPC office that receives your application assesses it to see whether your product is worthy of WPC NOC certification.
  • Certification: After analyzing the application and testing the equipment on its own end, the Wireless Planning Commission issues Equipment Type Approval. The process is as fair as you’d expect.
Things to do before filing the application for Equipment Type Approval?

Before you go online and file the online application, you’re required to take care of the following requirements:

  • Appoint an Authorized Indian representative: it’s not just you who is asking for import the wireless product, ETA approval is also for the foreign manufacturer who is asking for permission to export his product. Thus, to file the application and deal with the follow-ups later, you need to first appoint an Authorized Indian Representative. His job will be to represent you or the foreign manufacturer during the application filing process.
  • Getting the equipment tested: You have no way of knowing whether or not your product works at de-licensed, unlicensed or license free bands. That means, you have no way of knowing whether you even need the ETA license. Thus, the very first step you should take is to reach out to an NABL accredited lab and get your product tested. If the test reports say that it works at license free frequency band, you won’t need to file the application. But if it says that it does, you’re required to take further steps.
  • Keeping a sample of your product: After you’ve filed the online application, you’re required to submit the sample of the product to the WPC for testing. Thus, keep a sample by your side beforehand.
Documents required for ETA license

Obviously, no application is complete without the right documents attached to it. Following are the ones required for ETA license:

  • Test report issued by the NABL
  • Authorization letter to delegate the Authorized Indian Representative
  • Technical details of the product
  • Sample of the product
  • Certificate of incorporation
  • Import and Export Code
Things to remember about ETA license

Now that you know the necessary points pertaining to ETA license, here are other specific aspects of this license you should familiarize yourself with:

  • ETA license is granted to an Indian agency and not the original foreign manufacturer of the product
  • The license is not applicable on license free bands.
  • The lab from which you receive the report should be NABL accredited.

Short Description:

You should get ETA license to import wireless products in India. Now, there are several aspects to filing the application of ETA certifications, and this blog has discussed all of them.