India Extends Mandatory Registration Deadline for Standalone Hard Disk Drives to 1 May 2027

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Dated: 21.10.2026

India Extends Mandatory Registration Deadline for Standalone Hard Disk Drives to 1 May 2027

India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has extended the implementation deadline for compulsory registration of standalone hard disk drives under the national product-registration framework. The revised date is 1 May 2027, replacing the earlier effective date of 5 November 2026.

What the notification changes

The notification applies to the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirement of Compulsory Registration) Order, 2021 (CRO). It concerns the entry for hard disk drives in the Order’s schedule, where “USB Type External Hard Disk Drives” was replaced with the broader term “Standalone Hard Disk Drives.”

The original amendment was issued through S.O. 2204(E) dated 5 May 2026. It required the covered products to comply with IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010 and was scheduled to take effect on 5 November 2026. Under the latest notification, that implementation date is now deferred by nearly six months to 1 May 2027.

Products affected

The revised timeline covers standalone hard disk drives included at serial number 50 of the CRO schedule. The change in terminology from USB-type external drives to standalone hard disk drives expands the wording of the regulated product category, making it important for manufacturers, importers, distributors, and sellers to assess whether their products fall within scope.

The applicable compliance standard remains IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010. The extension changes the date of implementation, not the stated standard or the underlying compulsory-registration requirement.

Why the extension matters

The extension gives businesses additional time to prepare for regulatory compliance before the registration obligation becomes enforceable. Organizations dealing in covered hard disk drives can use the additional period to complete product assessments, coordinate testing and documentation, align supply-chain records, and ensure that product listings and import processes reflect the applicable Indian requirements.

For the market, the revised date also provides a clearer transition period. Products within the scope of the amended entry will need to meet the compulsory-registration requirements from 1 May 2027, rather than from the previously announced November 2026 date.

Regulatory background

MeitY issued the extension under powers provided by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016. The CRO framework was originally published in March 2021 and has been amended several times since then to update the range of electronics and IT goods subject to compulsory registration.

The hard-disk-drive amendment forms part of this broader regulatory framework. The October 2026 notification does not replace the underlying amendment; it solely extends the deadline for its implementation.

Key dates at a glance

5 May 2026: The government amended the CRO schedule to replace “USB Type External Hard Disk Drives” with “Standalone Hard Disk Drives.”
5 November 2026: Original date on which the amendment was to come into effect.
16 October 2026: MeitY issued the notification extending the deadline.
1 May 2027: New implementation date for the compulsory-registration requirement.

Bottom line

Standalone hard disk drives covered by the amended CRO entry are now subject to the compulsory-registration requirement from 1 May 2027. The extension preserves the compliance requirement while allowing regulated businesses more time to prepare for IS 13252 (Part 1): 2010 compliance and registration under India’s CRO framework.

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Source: Meity

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