A “WPC licence” is the common name for approvals issued by the Wireless Planning and Coordination (WPC) Wing of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications. For a business making or importing Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other wireless products, the approval it actually needs is almost always Equipment Type Approval (ETA), which for licence-exempt products is granted by self-declaration on the Saral Sanchar portal for a fee listed by DoT as Rs 10,000. Licences to operate radio stations, frequency assignments and WPC import licences are different permissions that apply in other situations.
WPC full form and what the WPC Wing does
WPC stands for Wireless Planning and Coordination. The WPC Wing sits within DoT and is the national authority for radio spectrum. It plans and assigns frequencies, issues licences and authorisations for wireless stations, approves wireless equipment, and certifies radio operators.
This matters because some guides attribute WPC approvals to other bodies. WPC is not part of BIS, and it is not the Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), although TEC is also part of DoT. ETA certificates are issued by the WPC Wing, and DoT lists its WPC services on the DoT eServices portal.
Which “WPC licence” do you actually need?
The table below lists WPC permissions described on DoT’s official pages. Most product businesses only need the first row.
| WPC approval | What it covers | Typical applicant | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment Type Approval (ETA) | Approval of a wireless product model operating in licence-exempt (de-licensed) bands; granted on self-declaration | Manufacturers, importers, brand owners | Saral Sanchar |
| Import licence | Permission to import wireless equipment that is not covered by an import exemption | Licensed operators and other entities holding DoT permissions | Saral Sanchar |
| Radio Equipment Possession Authorisation | Possession of radio equipment for manufacture, sale, hire, repair, testing or demonstration, under the Telecommunications Act, 2023 | Companies, LLPs, firms and others dealing in radio equipment | Authorisation Portal (from 6 August 2026) |
| Network and non-network licences | Use of spectrum and radio stations, for example maritime and aero mobile station licences | Operators, ship owners, airlines | DoT eServices |
| Experimental licence | Radio use for experiments, manufacturing and demonstration | R&D teams, manufacturers | DoT eServices |
| Certificate of Proficiency (ASOC, RTR, GMDSS) | Certification of individual radio operators, including amateur (ham) operators | Individuals | DoT eServices |
A frequency licence or station licence authorises someone to transmit on a particular frequency. ETA approves a product model that transmits only in bands where no licence is needed by the user. A company selling Bluetooth earphones needs ETA; a customer using them needs nothing.
ETA: the approval most businesses mean
DoT’s ETA page describes ETA as required for the import, sale and use of wireless devices that operate in de-licensed frequency bands or involve RF transmission. It states that ETA is permitted on self-declaration.
Which products need ETA
The DoT page and its 2019 memorandum give examples of commercial and finished products operating in licence-exempt bands:
- Mobile handsets, smartphones, electronic notepads and laptops
- Smart watches
- Short-range devices and accessories, such as microphones, speakers, headphones and earphones
- Printers, scanners and cameras with wireless connectivity
In practice this captures most consumer and IoT products with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or other short-range radio. If your product has a transmitter, assume ETA applies until you have checked otherwise.
What is excluded from self-declaration
The ETA page lists four categories outside the self-declaration route: radar, jamming devices, drones and satellite equipment (such as VSAT). Equipment that transmits in licensed bands is also outside it, because self-declaration is tied to the licence-exempt bands notified by the government. For these products, check with the WPC Wing before planning a launch; DoT’s ETA page does not describe a separate application route for them.
Fee and validity
| Item | As listed by DoT, at the time of writing |
|---|---|
| ETA fee | Rs 10,000 per application |
| Payment | Through Bharatkosh during the Saral Sanchar application |
| Validity | Lifetime of the model, unless revoked by the WPC Wing |
| Documents | RF test report, manufacturer authorisation (for an Indian representative), technical literature |
The fee does not include RF testing. Laboratory charges depend on the lab and the number of radios in the product, so get quotes before budgeting. Each distinct model needs its own ETA.
How to apply
Applications are filed on Saral Sanchar. In outline: register the company, start an ETA application of type “Self Declaration”, enter equipment and RF test details, upload documents, pay the fee, upload the signed undertaking and download the certificate. We cover each step, the documents and the common mistakes in our guide to WPC ETA self-declaration on Saral Sanchar.
WPC import licence: what is current
This is the area where older guides are most often out of date.
The baseline is that wireless equipment has historically needed a WPC import licence. DoT’s import licence page still describes the licence as required for entities bringing wireless devices into India, lists a fee of Rs 500 per import licence and a validity of one year, and asks for documents such as the applicant’s DoT licence, frequency authorisation letters and copies of the relevant ETAs.
For licence-exempt finished products, however, DoT simplified the position. Its office memorandum of 26 February 2019 states that a self-declaration from the importer or authorised Indian representative may be treated as sufficient evidence for customs clearance, and that import licence requirements are as regulated by DGFT’s import policy. The current ETA page repeats the customs point.
DoT’s memorandum of 9 September 2024 adds that ETA holders must obtain any NOC or clearance required by DGFT and are solely responsible for complying with import rules.
Putting this together:
- Licence-exempt finished products (phones, laptops, wearables, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi accessories): ETA by self-declaration, plus whatever the DGFT import policy for the HS code requires. A separate WPC import licence is generally not the route for these.
- Equipment outside the licence-exempt framework (for example, equipment for licensed networks, satellite terminals or other excluded categories): expect the WPC import licence process, which is tied to the importer’s DoT licence or frequency authorisation.
- Always check the DGFT policy condition for your HS code, since it is DGFT policy, not ETA, that customs applies.
The 2026 possession authorisation
DoT notified the Telecommunications (Radio Equipment Possession Authorisation) Rules, 2026, dated 8 July 2026, under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. According to DoT’s service page, applications are made on the new Authorisation Portal from 6 August 2026, for possession of radio equipment for manufacture, purchase or import for sale, hire, repair, testing or demonstration. The listed fees include a Rs 1,000 application fee and Rs 10,000 per year for an authorisation under Rule 4(1)(a).
The Rules contain exemptions, and the DoT service page does not say how they apply to dealers in licence-exempt consumer products that already hold ETA. If you manufacture, import or trade radio equipment, read the Rules and confirm whether your activity is exempt rather than assuming either way.
How ETA relates to BIS and TEC approvals
A wireless product can need several approvals at once, from different authorities:
| Approval | Authority | What it checks |
|---|---|---|
| WPC ETA | WPC Wing, DoT | Radio frequency use in licence-exempt bands |
| BIS CRS registration | Bureau of Indian Standards | Safety of notified electronics and IT goods |
| MTCTE certificate | TEC, DoT | Essential requirements for notified telecom equipment |
A smart watch or laptop, for example, typically needs ETA for its radios and BIS CRS registration for electrical safety. Telecom products such as Wi-Fi CPE and IP routers can also fall under TEC’s Mandatory Testing and Certification of Telecom Equipment scheme. If you are unsure about the BIS side, see does my product need BIS certification.
Common misunderstandings
- “WPC licence” and ETA are not interchangeable in every case. A product approval does not let anyone operate a licensed radio station.
- ETA is not an import licence. DoT’s own memoranda leave import conditions to DGFT policy.
- Module approval is not automatically product approval. If you build a radio module into a product sold under your brand, check whether the finished product needs its own ETA.
- Fees vary by approval. Rs 10,000 is the ETA fee; the import licence and possession authorisation have their own fee schedules.
- The legal framework is changing. DoT is moving services from the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 to authorisations under the Telecommunications Act, 2023. At the time of writing, ETA is still filed on Saral Sanchar; check the DoT eServices portal before applying.
How Aaditech can help
Aaditech helps manufacturers and importers work out which WPC approval applies to a wireless product, prepares and files ETA applications on Saral Sanchar, reviews RF test reports, and checks whether BIS registration or other approvals are also needed. See our WPC ETA approval service.