In a bid to reduce e-waste generated by discarded electronic products and to protect consumers’ interests, the Union government is likely to make a universal charging port mandatory for all electronic devices. Following in the footsteps of the European Union, India is expected to ask all smartphone manufacturers to adopt USB Type-C as the standard charging port by 2024-2025. Earlier, the European Union had given phone manufacturers time till December 28, 2024, to switch to USB Type-C as the common charging port. Similarly, in India, the Department of Consumer Affairs is considering mandating two types of common charging ports — a USB Type-C charger for mobiles, smartphones, and tablets, and another common charger for wearable electronic devices – Union Ministry Of Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh told PTI on Monday, December 26.
Speaking about the timeline of the rollout, Rohit Kumar Singh told PTI that India would have to align with the EU timeline of December 2024, as mobile phone manufacturers have a global supply chain and don't supply to India alone. However, according to The Economic Times, he said that the directive is likely to kick in about three months after the EU’s deadline, towards the end of March 2025.
"The objective is to reduce the number of chargers per household, thereby minimising the amount of e-waste generated," Rohit Kumar Singh said according to The Economic Times. The move comes in the wake of the European Union's directive earlier this year, mandating USB Type-C charging ports for all electronic devices. According to the EU directive, all smartphone manufactures have been given time till December 28, 2024, to adopt a common charging cable. Laptop makers too would have to do so by 2026.
In a press release related to the new law, the European Parliament had said in October that “[by] the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port. From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops.” This means that even iPhones manufactured by Apple, which use a distinct charger, will have to switch to the universal charging port and cable to be able to sell their devices in the EU after the deadline. Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak had said in an interview that the company had no choice but to comply with the mandate.
The Indian government has also put forth a plan to standardise charging ports used by smartphones, laptops, tablets and other portable electronic devices. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is responsible for quality certification of electronic devices and gadgets, will take steps to standardise charging standards. The BIS recently came out with with quality standards for USB Type-C charging port.