India is considering adopting USB Type-C as the standard charging port for all smart devices sold there, following the European Union. As Apple Inc.’s iPhone lacks a Type-C charging port, the decision, if put into practice, could have significant effects on the company. The choice was made on Wednesday at an inter-ministerial task force where the Narendra Modi-led government held extensive discussions on the possibility of creating uniform charging ports for all compatible smart devices and another for inexpensive feature phones.
On the introduction of USB Type-C as a charging connector for electronic devices including smartphones, tablets, and laptops, among others, a wide consensus among stakeholders formed throughout the discussion. As consumer affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh noted, it was also discussed if a different charging port might be used for basic phones.
Representatives from business organisations like the Confederation of Indian Industry, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, as well as educational institutions like IIT Kanpur and IIT (BHU), Varanasi, attended the meeting. For ‘effective execution and simple uptake,’ the stakeholders decided at the conference to put out standard charging ports in stages.
With this action, the nation’s enormous energy waste production will be reduced. India is predicted to have created 5 million tonnes of electronic garbage in 2021, trailing only China and the US, according to an ASSOCHAM-EY paper titled ‘Electronic Waste Management in India’. A move toward universal chargers, according to the authorities, would reduce the price of chargers in product packaging because most consumers already own the essential chargers and charging accessories.
The EU was the first area to advocate for an all-purpose Type-C charging port. They enacted a law in June of this year making USB-C required by the end of 2024 for a wide variety of electronic devices, including smartphones. A similar measure has apparently been supported by several Democrats in the US. Similar efforts are being made in Brazil as well, where the government is pressuring Apple to release products with Type-C ports.
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