WPC ETA Import Licensing Guidelines for Wireless Industrial Devices
How to secure Equipment Type Approval (ETA) from the Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) wing for importing Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled industrial equipment.
1. What is WPC and Who Needs ETA?
The Wireless Planning & Coordination (WPC) wing of India's Ministry of Communications regulates all wireless transmission equipment. Any imported industrial device containing wireless transceivers (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or RFID modules) must obtain an Equipment Type Approval (ETA) before custom release.
This includes modern IoT-enabled PLCs, industrial remote controllers, and telemetry sensors. Without an ETA license, customs authorities will confiscate the wireless modules or deny port entry.
2. The Steps to Secure WPC ETA Certification
To obtain an ETA, the importer must submit a RF test report issued by an accredited laboratory. The report must demonstrate that the device operates within de-licensed frequency bands in India, such as the 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz ISM bands.
If the device operates in restricted bands, a separate import license and frequency allocation authorization are required, which involves a more complex application process.
Sanjay and the compliance advisory group at KSP Global verify international tariff HS structures, coordinate with CPRI/ERDA testing foundries, and manage regulatory filings with standard BIS and WPC wings.