1 month ago
Founder Flags Nvidia Jetson Customs Delay, Shipment Cleared
A startup founder in India named Ramakrishna Kompella was trying to bring two Nvidia Jetson AI modules into the country for research.
Customs held the shipment for two weeks because they wanted three certificates that the founder said were not needed for his internal use.
Kompella kept sending answers but got the same short reply each time.
The customs office eventually said the shipment was cleared, but it still needed to pay duty.
The founder thanked people for their help and said the whole process shows India’s customs need improvement.
The incident was shared on social media and prompted other business leaders to call for reforms.
The modules were finally released, and the company can now use them for their projects.
This story highlights how complicated import rules can be for small tech companies.
It also shows that clear communication with customs can help resolve delays.
The founder hopes the experience will lead to smoother procedures in the future.
Founder Ramakrishna Kompella reported two Nvidia Jetson AI modules stuck at Indian customs for two weeks due to requests for EPR, WPC, and BIS certificates.
Kompella argued the certificates were exempt for internal prototyping and that the modules were already BIS‑registered.
CBIC eventually cleared the shipment, stating it was pending duty payment.
The consignment was released after Kompella’s follow‑up and CBIC’s confirmation.
The incident prompted a call for customs process reforms by industry leaders.
- Who
- Ramakrishna Kompella, founder of Godel Machines
- What
- Customs delay of two Nvidia Jetson AI modules, later cleared
- Where
- India customs (port of entry unspecified)
- When
- August 2026
- Why
- Customs requested EPR, WPC, and BIS certificates that Kompella claimed were exempt for internal prototyping
Key facts
- Founder
- Ramakrishna Kompella
- Company
- Godel Machines
- Product
- Nvidia Jetson AI modules
- Customs delay
- 2 weeks
- Certificates requested
- EPR, WPC, BIS
- Outcome
- Shipment cleared, pending duty payment
- Date of incident
- August 2026
Quotes
Ramakrishna Kompella
Founder of Godel Machines, a startup developing AI hardware
“"We've filed a dozen responses; we got rejected with no explanation. Just a one-liner: customs has rejected your letter, please furnish EPR, WPC, BIS. Or meet the officer directly."”
businesstoday.in
CBIC representative
CBIC (Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs) official
“"Dear Kompella, your Bill of Entry has been cleared by Customs. It is pending for duty payment at your end. Kindly do the needful so that the Out of Charge can be granted."”
businesstoday.in
Deepak Shenoy
CEO of Capitalmind, a fintech firm
“"If we don't fix our customs processes we won't get much ahead. I don't know if it will help, but bringing to the attention of @FinMinIndia and @CimGOI."”
businesstoday.in



