India is preparing to follow the same path as the EU in making USB Type-C the de facto standard for charging electronic gadgets. At a meeting of an inter-ministerial task committee that the Indian government had formed, the choice was agreed upon.
Confederation of Indian Industry, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) – Kanpur all sent representatives to the meeting (MOEF).
Wide-ranging discussions are being held by the government in an effort to unify two charging systems, one for low-cost feature phones and the other for all smartphones, tablets, and other gadgets.
According to AJay Garg of the Indian Electronic Industries Association:
“Since the world is moving toward USB-C connectors, it makes sense for us to do the same. One crucial fact is that the electronic sector has a very high rate of technical obsolescence, meaning that what works now won’t work tomorrow.
India, which created 5 million tonnes of electronic garbage in 2021, was third in the world behind the US and China. Once the EU makes the switch, there is also a significant risk that outdated phones and other technology would be dumped in India.
Under the task force, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has additionally established a sub-group to investigate the viability of a standard charging connector for wearables like smart watches and smart bands.
The Indian government’s choice will have the biggest effects on Apple products, much like in Europe. Apple has however pledged to “comply” with the law.
The common charging port will be introduced gradually by the Indian government in order for businesses to use it and consumers to accept it at the same time.
