India’s government pushed back a deadline requiring overseas device makers to obtain a licence to import products, after Apple, Samsung and HP halted shipments to the country, Bloomberg reported.

A day after introducing the measure, aimed at encouraging local production, India’s Directorate General of Foreign Trade gave companies until the end of October to secure permits to import tablets, laptops and PCs, the news outlet stated.

The surprise directive forced major device manufacturers to start talks with the government about how to obtain licences.

Despite the trade regulator’s backtracking, the move prompted 44 hardware manufacturers to register to manufacture devices locally, Business Standard reported, citing official sources.

One official told the newspaper the government aims to repeat the success achieved under a production linked incentive scheme across other electronics categories.

In October 2020, the government handed out INR450 billion ($5.5 billion) in incentives to 16 domestic and international electronics companies to boost smartphone production over the next five years.