If you are mulling to buy a mobile phone then get set to shell out more from your pockets as Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, while presenting the Union Budget 2013, has proposed 6 per cent excise duty on mobile phones above Rs 2000.
Till now, the excise duty on mobile phones is just 1 per cent. There, is no change on excise duty on phones below Rs 2,000.
“Expensive mobile phones i.e. mobile phones which are priced at more than Rs 2,000 will also have to bear higher excise duty of 6 per cent. However, mobile phones which are not more than Rs 2,000 will continue to be levied a concessional excise duty of only 1 per cent,” the budget document read.
Since most of the mobile phones are imported from other countries both by Indian handset brands as well as MNC brands, the overall price of the handsets are set to increase.