WPC stands for Wireless Planning and Coordination, the Wing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, that regulates radio spectrum in India. ETA stands for Equipment Type Approval, the WPC certification a wireless product needs before it can be imported, sold or used in India’s licence-exempt bands. When a manufacturer, an importer or a customs officer talks about a “WPC certificate”, they almost always mean the ETA for one specific model.
If you make or import Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other wireless products, our WPC ETA approval service handles the filing on Saral Sanchar.
WPC and ETA at a glance
| Term | Full form | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| WPC | Wireless Planning and Coordination | The Wing of DoT that manages spectrum, licenses wireless use and approves wireless equipment |
| ETA | Equipment Type Approval | WPC’s approval of a wireless product model working in licence-exempt bands |
| DoT | Department of Telecommunications | The department of the Ministry of Communications that houses the WPC Wing |
| “WPC certificate” | Informal term | Usually the ETA certificate for a make and model |
What the WPC Wing does
The WPC Wing is India’s national radio regulator. DoT’s National Frequency Allocation Plan 2025 (NFAP-2025), published by the Wing, sets out the principle that governs everything it does: to use any part of the spectrum in India, a frequency assignment must be obtained from the WPC Wing, “unless such a requirement is exempted by the WPC Wing”. The Wing is headed by the Wireless Adviser, and government sources date it to 1952.
In practice, the Wing’s work falls into a few areas:
- Spectrum planning. Allocating frequency bands to radio services in line with the ITU Radio Regulations, through the NFAP. NFAP-2025 covers the range up to 3000 GHz.
- Frequency assignment and licensing. Licences and authorisations for networks, radio stations, ships, aircraft, experiments and amateur operators.
- Exemptions. Notifying bands where low-power devices need no licence at all. These “de-licensed” bands are why your Wi-Fi router needs no user licence.
- Equipment approval. Granting ETA for wireless products that operate in those licence-exempt bands.
- Siting clearance. Through SACFA, clearing the location of fixed antennas and towers for interference and aviation safety.
WPC is often confused with other bodies. It is not part of BIS, and it is not the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), although TEC is also part of DoT. Our WPC licence guide lists every type of WPC permission and who needs which one.
The law behind WPC
For most of its history, the WPC Wing worked under two colonial-era Acts: the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933. The de-licensing rules for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth bands were made under those Acts.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023 replaces both. Its provisions have been brought into force in phases from 26 June 2024. Under the Act, rules and orders made under the 1885 and 1933 Acts continue as if made under the new Act, so far as they are consistent with it, until new rules replace them. That is why the 2005 and 2018 exemption notifications still define the de-licensed bands today.
The transition is visible on DoT’s portals. DoT’s ETA page says new applications under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 are no longer accepted for Unified Licences, and points authorisations under the 2023 Act to a new Authorisation Portal. At the time of writing, the same page still sends ETA applications to Saral Sanchar.
What ETA means
DoT describes ETA as a certification issued by the WPC Wing that is required for the import, sale and use of wireless devices that operate in de-licensed bands or involve RF transmission. Key points from the ETA page, at the time of writing:
| Item | As listed by DoT |
|---|---|
| Issued by | WPC Wing, DoT |
| Route | Self-declaration, for products in licence-exempt bands |
| Excluded from self-declaration | Radar, jamming devices, drones and satellite equipment such as VSAT |
| Fee | Rs 10,000 |
| Validity | Lifetime, unless revoked by the WPC Wing |
| Where to apply | Saral Sanchar portal |
Two points are often misunderstood:
- ETA is per model. A certificate covers a specific make and model. A changed radio design is a new model.
- ETA is not a licence to transmit anywhere. It approves a product for bands where users need no licence. A product transmitting in a licensed band needs a different WPC route.
De-licensed bands: where ETA applies
DoT’s office memorandum of 9 September 2024 says ETA for wireless devices made licence-exempt through Gazette notifications is to be granted on self-declaration. Those notifications are GSRs (General Statutory Rules) published in the Gazette of India. NFAP-2025 lists them in its Annexure-1, “Wireless Equipment exempted from licensing”. The bands most consumer and IoT products use are:
| Band | Notification (as listed in NFAP-2025) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 2.4–2.4835 GHz | GSR 45(E), 28 January 2005 | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and other low-power equipment |
| 5150–5250, 5250–5350, 5470–5725 and 5725–5875 MHz | GSR 1048(E), 18 October 2018 | Wireless access systems including radio LAN (5 GHz Wi-Fi) |
| 865–868 MHz | GSR 853(E), 10 December 2021 | Short range devices |
| 433.05–434.79 MHz | GSR 347(E), 9 May 2022 | Low power RF devices |
| 13.553–13.567 MHz | GSR 884(E), 4 November 2010 | Very low power indoor applications |
| 76–77 GHz | GSR 699(E), 16 September 2015 | Short range radar systems |
| Multiple bands, including 2400–2483.5 MHz and 5725–5875 MHz | GSR 1047(E), 18 October 2018, amended by GSR 271(E), 9 May 2024 | Low and very low power short range devices |
| Various | GSR 1046(E), 18 October 2018 | Ultra-wideband (UWB) devices |
In January 2026, DoT also exempted low power indoor and very low power outdoor wireless access systems, including radio LANs, in the lower 6 GHz band (5925–6425 MHz) from licensing, through G.S.R. 47(E). This came after NFAP-2025 was printed, so it is not in the annexure.
Each notification sets technical conditions such as maximum power, so “licence-exempt band” does not mean “anything goes”. The RF test report for an ETA must show the product meets the conditions of the notification it relies on. Note also that radar is excluded from ETA self-declaration even though some radar bands, such as 76–77 GHz, are licence-exempt.
How the self-declaration route works
In outline, you register on Saral Sanchar (Simplified Application for Registration and Licenses), start an ETA application of type “Self Declaration”, enter equipment and RF test details, upload the test report, the manufacturer’s authorisation and technical literature, pay the fee through Bharatkosh, upload the signed undertaking and download the certificate. Our step-by-step guide to WPC ETA self-declaration covers each screen and the common mistakes. If you still need a test report, see our RF testing support.
Why customs asks for WPC
Searches for “WPC full form in customs” usually come from importers whose shipment of wireless goods is held at the port. The acronym means the same thing there: the WPC Wing of DoT.
The link to customs is written into DoT’s own text. The ETA page states that a self-declaration from the importer or authorised Indian representative “may be treated as sufficient evidence” for clearance by the customs authorities. In practice, customs looks for the ETA certificate, or the self-declaration behind it, for the exact model being imported.
ETA alone does not settle every import question. The 2024 memorandum states that ETA holders must obtain any NOC or clearance required by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) and are solely responsible for complying with import regulations. Equipment outside the licence-exempt framework can need a separate WPC import licence. Our WPC licence guide explains when.
WPC ETA, TEC MTCTE and BIS CRS for the same device
A single wireless product can need three separate approvals, from three different bodies. Getting one does not give you the others.
| Approval | Authority | What it checks | Typical products |
|---|---|---|---|
| WPC ETA | WPC Wing, DoT | Radio use in licence-exempt bands | Anything with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or another short-range radio |
| MTCTE certificate | TEC, DoT | Essential requirements for notified telecom equipment | Telecom and network equipment notified under MTCTE |
| BIS CRS registration | Bureau of Indian Standards | Safety of notified electronics and IT goods | Products on the BIS Scheme-II list, such as laptops and tablets |
MTCTE stands for Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment. DoT’s MTCTE page now ties it to the Telecommunications (Framework to Notify Standards, Conformity Assessment and Certification) Rules, 2025, and says no telecom equipment notified under MTCTE may be sold or deployed without a valid certificate. Applications go through TEC’s MTCTE portal.
CRS stands for the Compulsory Registration Scheme of BIS. Check the official Scheme-II list for your product, and see CRS full form and meaning and our CRS registration process guide. A smart watch, for example, typically needs ETA for its radios and may also need CRS registration if its product category is notified.
Glossary of WPC terms
| Acronym | Full form | Meaning in practice |
|---|---|---|
| WPC | Wireless Planning and Coordination | The Wing of DoT that regulates spectrum and wireless equipment |
| ETA | Equipment Type Approval | WPC approval of a wireless product model for licence-exempt bands |
| DoT | Department of Telecommunications | Department of the Ministry of Communications; parent of WPC and TEC |
| NFAP | National Frequency Allocation Plan | The national table of frequency allocations; the current edition is NFAP-2025 |
| GSR | General Statutory Rules | The Gazette series in which de-licensing rules are notified, for example GSR 45(E) |
| SACFA | Standing Advisory Committee on Frequency Allocation | Clears antenna and tower sites; DoT’s pages also use “Radio Frequency Allocation” |
| Saral Sanchar | Simplified Application for Registration and Licenses | DoT portal for ETA, SACFA clearances and several WPC licences |
| TEC | Telecommunication Engineering Centre | DoT’s technical body that runs MTCTE |
| MTCTE | Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecommunication Equipment | Certification scheme for notified telecom equipment |
| RLAN | Radio Local Area Network | The term the 5 GHz and 6 GHz rules use for Wi-Fi-type networks |
| SRD | Short Range Device | Low-power devices covered by GSR 1047(E) and other notifications |
| CRS | Compulsory Registration Scheme | BIS scheme for notified electronics and IT goods |
Common misunderstandings
- “WPC” is not a product standard. It is an authority. The approval you need from it is usually ETA.
- ETA is not BIS certification. It covers radio compliance only. Electrical safety under CRS is separate. See BIS full form and meaning.
- A module approval is not automatically a product approval. If you build a radio module into a product sold under your brand, check whether the finished product needs its own ETA.
- The de-licensed list changes. New bands are added from time to time, such as the lower 6 GHz band in 2026. Check the notification for your band rather than relying on an old summary.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech is a private compliance consultancy, independent of DoT and the WPC Wing. We work out which approvals a wireless product needs, check RF test reports against the relevant de-licensing notification, prepare and file ETA applications on Saral Sanchar, and check whether BIS CRS registration or MTCTE also applies. See our WPC ETA approval service.