The government on Friday put the imports of gold dore in restricted category.
"Import policy of gold dore is restricted," the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification.
This means, now, an importer needs a license to import this commodity.
Gold dore is a semi-pure alloy which is refined for further purification. Refined gold bars are manufactured from gold dore bar.
India, the world's second-biggest gold consumer after China, imports about 900 tonnes of gold a year.
In value terms, gold imports fell by about 43 per cent to $1.68 billion in October.
The imports mainly take care of demand of the jewellery industry.