Upload regulatory approval details for wireless devices, govt. tells e-com platforms
The Union government is notifying regulations to mandate e-commerce platforms to provide copies of regulatory approval documentation for wireless devices like WiFi hotspots and walkie-talkies, the Department of Consumer Affairs indicated on Friday in a press release and a notification uploaded to their website.
The primary purpose of the notification, the Guidelines for the Prevention and Regulation of Illegal Listing and Sale of Radio Equipment including Walkie Talkies on E-Commerce Platforms, 2025, dated May 27, is to bolster existing regulations prohibiting the unauthorised sale of wireless electronics — even if they operate in delicensed spectrum, like the airwaves used by WiFi routers. Walkie talkies used by law enforcement in India use spectrum assigned for that purpose in the National Frequency Allocation Plan.
'All e-commerce platforms operating in and outside India but catering to consumers in India' will be subject to the guidelines. Any equipment which supports operations in licensed spectrum, such as in bands used by telecom operators, is prohibited for sale by e-commerce platforms like Amazon and Flipkart. In fact, even equipment that is operating on delicensed spectrum cannot be imported unless the user obtains an equipment type authorisation (ETA) from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The guidelines have further expanded the requirements, requiring e-commerce platforms to make all the paperwork leading up to such authorisations — 'For equipment capable of operating in unlicensed frequency bands only, e.g. Wi-Fi hotspots, Bluetooth devices, etc., the product listing shall mention the relevant ETA details issued by DoT, and make a copy of the ETA available for download by the buyer,' the guidelines say. 'The product listing shall also mention the operating frequency range(s) of the equipment and provide a copy of the relevant Test Report of the product issued by an accredited test laboratory for download by the buyer.'
ETAs for each product cost ₹10,000, and are issued by the DoT's Wireless Planning and Coordination wing. They are required for several wireless devices imported into India, from gaming controllers to Bluetooth headsets.
Many e-commerce websites were found to have cumulatively thousands of listings of walkie-talkies without an ETA or other requisite permissions.
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