India Exempts 77-81 GHz Automotive Radar Licensing
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India DoT De-Licenses 77-81 GHz Automotive Radar Systems
India has removed a long-standing spectrum barrier to advanced vehicle safety technology. On 11 June 2026, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), under the Ministry of Communications, notified G.S.R. 468(E) in The Gazette of India (Extraordinary) the Use of Short-Range Automotive Radar System in the 77-81 GHz Band (Exemption from Licensing Requirements) Rules, 2026. The Rules came into force immediately on the date of their publication.
The notification exempts short-range automotive radar systems (SRARS) operating across the 77-81 GHz frequency band from spectrum-licensing requirements, aligning India with regulatory frameworks already established in the United States and Europe. For manufacturers, importers, and regulatory affairs teams, this closes the gap between the previously exempt 76-77 GHz slice and the wider 77-81 GHz band now used globally for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
Crucially, this is a de-licensing of spectrum, not a removal of all regulatory obligations. Equipment type approval and technical conformity remain mandatory conditions of the exemption.
What the 77-81 GHz automotive radar exemption actually does
The Rules were issued under sections 4 and 7 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 and sections 4 and 10 of the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933. Under Rule 4:
The establishment, maintenance, or working of a SRARS installed on a vehicle in the 77-81 GHz band is permitted without assignment of radio frequency, on a non-interference, non protection, and non exclusive (shared) basis.
No licence is required for any person to possess such a system, or for any dealer to sell or hire it.
In plain terms: the operator no longer needs a frequency assignment or a possession licence to run automotive radar in this band. However, the exemption is expressly "subject to fulfilment of the conditions specified in sub-rules (2) to (5)" which is where the compliance work remains.
Scope of "vehicles" is deliberately broad
The Rules define a Short-Range Automotive Radar System as radio equipment operating in the 77-81 GHz band installed on a vehicle for radiolocation. "Vehicles" is defined non-exhaustively and includes passenger cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, construction vehicles, aircraft while taxiing, railroad locomotives, train cars, monorails or trams, and boats or ships operated within India's territorial waters.
Technical parameters the equipment must meet
The exemption applies only where the radar system conforms to the emission limits set out in the Schedule to Rule 4(2):
Parameter | Limit |
Frequency band | 77-81 GHz |
Maximum average EIRP | 50 dBm |
Maximum peak EIRP | 55 dBm |
Maximum emission bandwidth | 4 GHz |
Maximum unwanted emissions limit | -30 dBm/MHz |
Average EIRP is measured over a 1 MHz resolution bandwidth using an average detector and integrated over the total emission bandwidth; peak EIRP is measured over a 1 MHz resolution bandwidth using a peak detector and is not integrated over the emission bandwidth.
Type approval and standards still apply
Two conditions in the Rules are easy to overlook and matter most for market access:
Equipment type approval (Rule 4(3)). Permission and exemption must be sought for each equipment type by applying on the DoT portal, using the application form set out in the Schedule. That form calls for detailed transmitter and receiver specifications frequency range, power output, modulation type, emission bandwidth, spurious and harmonic radiation, frequency stability, and receiver sensitivity. A fresh application is not required where approval has already been accorded for a similar equipment type and published on the portal.
Standards conformity (Rule 4(4)). Systems must conform to standards notified by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) or the Central Government, or both. Where no such standard has been published, the system must conform to relevant international standards the Rules reference bodies including the ITU, ETSI, ANSI, and ICNIRP.
Interference remediation (Rule 4(5)). Because operation is on a non protection basis, if a licensed system reports harmful interference, DoT may direct the radar user to take remediation measures relocating equipment, reducing power, or changing antenna type within a specified timeframe.
What this means for manufacturers
The spectrum barrier is gone, but the approval pathway is not. You no longer chase a frequency assignment or possession licence for 77-81 GHz automotive radar, which simplifies import and deployment but each equipment type still needs DoT portal type approval before it can rely on the exemption.
Leverage prior approvals. If a similar equipment type has already been approved and published on the portal, a repeat application is not required. Mapping your product portfolio against already-published approvals can avoid duplicate filings.
Confirm your standards basis now. Until BIS or the Central Government publishes an India specific standard, conformity defaults to relevant international standards (e.g., ETSI EN 303 396 / EN 302 264 class references for automotive radar). Documenting the international standard you rely on will smooth the type approval submission.
Design to the emission table. Products already built to global 77-81 GHz automotive radar limits (55 dBm peak EIRP, 4 GHz emission bandwidth) should map cleanly, but verify unit-level compliance against the -30 dBm/MHz unwanted-emissions limit.
Plan for non-protection operation. Because the band is shared and non-exclusive, build interference mitigation capability (power control, antenna configuration) into the product so you can respond to any DoT direction quickly.
Certification impact summary
Requirement | Before G.S.R. 468(E) | After G.S.R. 468(E) |
Spectrum/frequency assignment (77-81 GHz) | Required | Not required (shared, non-exclusive basis) |
Possession / dealer sale or hire licence | Required | Not required |
Equipment type approval via DoT portal | Required | Still required (per equipment type; waived if similar type already approved and published) |
Technical parameter conformity | Applicable | Mandatory (EIRP, bandwidth, emission limits per Schedule) |
Standards conformity | Applicable | Mandatory — BIS / Central Government standards, or international standards where none published |
Interference protection | N/A | None — operates on non-interference, non-protection basis |
Band coverage | 76-77 GHz exempt only | Full 77-81 GHz band de-licensed |
Timeline and required actions
Date | Milestone |
25 Nov 2025 | DoT/MoC releases the draft rules (Exemption from Assignment Requirement Rules, 2025) for consultation |
11 June 2026 | G.S.R. 468(E) notified in the Gazette of India; Rules come into force on publication |
Now (in force) | Exemption available for compliant 77-81 GHz automotive radar systems |
Required actions for manufacturers and importers:
Confirm portal status: check whether your equipment type (or a similar approved type) is already published on the DoT portal; if so, no fresh type approval application is required.
Prepare the type approval application: compile the transmitter/receiver dataset required by the Schedule for each unapproved equipment type.
Validate emission compliance: test against the Rule 4(2) table (50 dBm avg EIRP, 55 dBm peak EIRP, 4 GHz bandwidth, -30 dBm/MHz unwanted emissions).
Document standards basis: identify the BIS standard if published, otherwise the relevant international standard, and retain conformity evidence.
Build interference-mitigation readiness: ensure the product can meet any DoT direction to relocate, reduce power, or change antenna type.
Bottom line
India's move extends licence-exempt automotive radar operation across the full 77-81 GHz band, removing a real barrier to ADAS and autonomous-vehicle deployment. For compliance teams, the headline is enabling — but the operative word is conditional: type approval, emission conformity, and standards alignment remain the gatekeepers to relying on the exemption.
