Govt raises laptop price cap to Rs 1.8 lakh for officers; allows personal use after four years

The Centre has increased the purchase ceiling for laptops, tablets and similar electronic devices issued to eligible government officers to Rs 1.8 lakh plus taxes for qualifying Make-in-India products. Under the revised guidelines, officers will also be allowed to retain these devices for personal use after completing four years of service-related usage.

The Ministry of Finance's Department of Expenditure issued an office memorandum on November 10, 2026, revising the rules governing the procurement and allocation of electronic devices across central government ministries and departments.

The latest instructions replace the guidelines issued in July 2023 and introduce higher purchase limits, revised eligibility provisions and conditions for retaining government-issued devices.

Revised price limits for electronic devices

Under the new guidelines, the maximum permissible cost of laptops, tablets, notebooks, ultrabooks and similar devices has been increased to Rs 1.5 lakh plus applicable taxes.

However, devices with a Make-in-India (MII) component exceeding 40 per cent will qualify for a higher purchase ceiling of Rs 1.8 lakh plus taxes.

The prescribed limits also cover the cost of standard software installed on the devices.

Previously, the government had capped expenditure at Rs 1 lakh for regular devices and Rs 1.3 lakh for those meeting the specified domestic manufacturing criteria.

The revision effectively raises the procurement ceiling by Rs 50,000 in both categories, allowing departments greater flexibility when purchasing equipment for official requirements.

Which government officers are eligible?

According to the revised memorandum, central government officers holding the rank of Section Officer and above may be provided electronic devices for performing official duties.

All officers in Pay Level 12 and above under the Seventh Central Pay Commission will be eligible.

For officers in Pay Levels 8 to 11, eligibility will initially be restricted to 50 per cent of the sanctioned strength in a department.

However, the secretary of the concerned ministry or department, in consultation with the financial adviser, may increase this limit to 75 per cent depending on functional requirements.

Officers can retain devices after four years

The guidelines clarify that electronic devices issued to officers will remain government property for four years from their purchase date.

During this period, the officer concerned will be personally responsible for ensuring the safety and security of official data and information stored on the device.

After completing four years of usage, the officer may retain the device for personal use.

Notably, while the July 2023 guidelines explicitly referred to mobile devices, the November 2026 memorandum does not specifically mention them among the eligible categories.

(With PTI inputs)