Registration requirement for laptop imports boon for Primebook: CEO

The recent government initiative to impose a registration requirement for laptop imports has proven to be advantageous for Primebook, a home-grown Android-based laptop manufacturer, as stated by the company's CEO, Chitranshu Mahant.

Mahant expressed that the implementation of the registration requirement "actually came as a blessing to us. We had no issues, but other brands were not able to import stuff. So, we had a good market exposure because of the problems," he told PTI.

The new system, introduced in October this year, mandates companies intending to import laptops, tablets, and specific components to register the quantity and value of imports on a designated portal. The government has approved a total of 110 applications, including those from major brands like Apple, Dell, HP, and Lenovo. These authorizations for imports are valid until September 2024.

Primebook's CEO highlighted that all four ranges of the company's laptops are manufactured in India. While certain components are sourced globally, including from China and Taiwan, the final product is entirely made in India.

The company already holds partnerships with edtech players and has outlined plans for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for operating systems (OS). Mahant shared, "From the OS point of view, we are already talking to the top five OEMs. So basically, outside India, our business model is like Microsoft. Any other brand outside India wants to launch the Android laptop can license our operating system which is our IP in India. We are talking to companies in the top five - ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, and HP."

Primebook gained recognition after featuring in the startup-focused reality show Shark Tank and has raised Rs 10 crore since its inception in 2018, with the latest fundraise occurring in December 2022. Additionally, the company secured investments of Rs 75 lakh from Peyush Bansal of Lenskart and Aman Gupta, the chief of boAt. Telecommunications company HFCL is also among the investors in Primebook.