The government will set up expert groups to explore the adoption of common chargers for mobile and all portable electronic devices and submit a detailed report in two months, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Wednesday, 17 August.
Exiting the meeting with industry stakeholders, the secretary said India can initially think of shifting to two types of chargers, including a USB-C port.
"It is a complex issue. India has a position in the manufacturing of chargers. We have to understand everybody's perspective, industry, the users, manufacturers and environment, before taking a final decision," he told reporters.
Each stakeholder has a different perspective and expert groups will be formed to examine those issues separately, he said.
Recommendations To Be Submitted in 2 Months
Separate expert groups will be formed to study charging ports used in three segments; mobile and feature phones, laptops and ipads, and wearable electronic devices.
The groups will be notified this month and will submit the recommendations in two months, he said.
Although the sector-specific associations and manufacturers agreed to the concerns of e-waste, they sought more discussion on the matter, he added.
Electronics Products Innovation Consortium (EPIC) Foundation and HCL Founder Ajai Chowdhury, Manufacturers' Association of Information Technology (MAIT) president Rajkumar Rishi, India Cellular and Electronic Association (ICEA) chairman Pankaj Mohindroo, Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA) president Eric Braganza and Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers' Association (IEEMA) president Vipul Ray were present in the meeting.
Lava International Ltd chairman and managing director Hari Om Rai and representatives of industry bodies such as FICCI, CII, and Assocham as well as from IIT Kanpur and IIT BHU were also present in the meeting held in hybrid mode.
Currently, consumers are forced to buy a separate charger every time they buy a new device due to incompatibility of the ports of the existing charger.
Recently, the European Union announced the adoption of a USB-C port common charging standard for small electronic devices by 2024. A similar demand has been made in the US as well.
(Published in an arrangement with PTI.)
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