I am US citizen and I found that one laptop per passenger is duty free but am wondering if I have to bring both the laptops back once my visit is over in India?

Actually I wanna give these laptops as gifts to my two different family members and I heard that gifts up to 8000 INR is duty free correct? and these laptops are used and each one values less than 8000 INR...so can I carry it to India ?and don't bring it back?

Do I need a stamp in passport any where? and can I carry one both the laptops with me as carry on luggage? or one has to be in checked baggage?

Depends on the customs officer that you get. Which airport are you flying into by the way?.I've always noticed that some airports are more relaxed about this than others.BOM seemed to me to be the worst in this aspect.

Mumbai airport

you are only allowed to bring one laptop duty free....the value is not decided by you but by the customs officials....they have a list that has pretty much every item that attracts duty & they determine the value based on their calculation....so what might seem under inr 8k to you could in fact be a lot higher....

doesn't matter whether you carry the laptop in your carry on or checked luggage....in bom you are supposed to scan your luggage on your way out....sometimes they let you go without the scan & sometimes they don't....if your bags are scanned & a second laptop is discovered that you failed to declare then you could be in for some questioning....

just pay the duty on the second laptop....it won't be much....

Thanks...do you know what is the rate of duty...for example if the assess the laptop for 10000 INR...they will assess duty only on 2000 INR (as up to 8000 is duty free) or they will assess duty on entire amount?
also what is the percentage for laptop?

Further..you said first laptop is duty free so, I don't need to bring it from India while return correct? if yes...do I need to have reexport stamp or something on passport upon arrival in Mumbai? or they will not ask what I did with the first laptop(as I said I am going to gift both laptops in India)

And can I keep both the laptop with me as carry on luggage?

yes, it will only be on the excess amount & not the whole amount....you will have to search online for what the duty percentage is for a laptop as i don't have an answer to that....perhaps others here will know....

you don't need any stamp for the first laptop....no questions will be asked on your way back....

like i said before, it doesn't matter whether you check it in or keep it in your carry on luggage....

See.. you can bring two laptops in your carryon..I hv done it multiple times ( one personal, another official) and there has never been a problem..
on many instances, I had 2 laptops, a DSLR, extra lenses, 2 mobile phones, one tablet and have gone thru fine after scanning thru the machines..
YMMV..

So, you have to declare one personal and one is official?
you have multiple experience at Mumbai airport?
and either on way to India or going back to India...they don't ask anything correct? no stamp or no notification of serial no. anything?

no, they won't....

Only the excess amount, which would only come out to a couple hundred Rs if that. Which suggests to me that the customs won't make much fuss over this at all.

Yes, in my case one laptop is given by my company and another is mine..but they never cared to check till date..
Yes, multiple experience in bby airport but nothing in the last 1 year while travelling both ways..
No stamp etc needed..

And even if they check, if the electronic items you bring in don't look new and seem very used, you should not have a problem ..

The airport code is still BOM my friend .

If you are carrying other electronic items along with your two laptops , I would suggest that you bring the second one next time.

However if you don't have anything else then 2 laptops should not be an issue especially since they are used.

Once again it depends on what the customs officer decides. The rules are specific on laptops .I.e only 1 laptop allowed.

"used" status is meaningful for personal effecs. When you are going to India under transfer of residence rules, "used" is significant for household goods and appliances also. A laptop is neither. Used or new is immaterial when it comes to a laptop, whose value is determined by the customs.

You can try not declaring what you have and walking through Green Channel. I would not recommend it though. How useful will a used laptop be?
I have several sitting around the house, that I would not inflict on anyone. My barely teen son plays around with them. When windows went south on it and even the recovery wont recover, he installed Linux on it for fun. I donated a couple to the local computer labs that teaches kids about computers. Donations can bring you savings in taxes too.