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          New Delhi: People looking to buy expensive smartphones like iPhones, Galaxy S III or even mid-level Nokia Asha will have to pay more now as the Budget for 2013-14 raised excise duty to 6 per cent on handsets priced above Rs 2,000.
 
               The proposed hike in duty would increase prices of handsets in a range of Rs 120 to Rs 3,000 (for a device costing Rs 50,000). Mobile phones at present attract 1 per cent excise duty.

              Chidambaram said, “I do not propose to change that in the case of low-priced mob-ile phones. However, on mobile phones priced at more than Rs 2,000, I propose to raise the duty to six per cent.”
                “70 per cent of imported mobile phones and about 60 per cent of domestically manufactured phones are priced at Rs 2,000 or below,” the minister said.