Samsung moves CESTAT, challenges $500-mn penalty

Consumer electronic major Samsung India has moved the Customs Excise & Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT), challenging a penalty amount of more than half a billion dollars imposed on it by government officials, according to industry sources.

The Indian custom authorities had imposed a penalty of over $500 million on Samsung earlier this year, for allegedly wrongly classifying the import of telecom equipment, including networking gears.

The said order has been challenged by Samsung India before the Mumbai bench of the the appellate tribunal CESTAT, the sources told PTI.

PTI has sent emailed questions to Samsung regarding the issue, but is yet to receive a response.

The petition, which has been moved through law firm Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan before the appellate tribunal, is yet to be listed for hearing, they said.

It may come up for hearing in due course before a CESTAT bench, they added.

Samsung has supplied those network equipment to Reliance Jio, the leading telecom service provider, part of billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries.

According to the sources, the network division of Samsung India has allegedly misclassified the equipment, attracting a tariff of 10-20 per cent. This was objected to by the customs department earlier also.

Samsung India Electronics had reported revenues of nearly ₹1 lakh crore for 2023-24, in which its network business’ share was ₹16,626 crore.

Published on May 4, 2025