Government to meet stakeholders to discuss use of common chargers for mobile phones, electronic devices

The government will hold a meeting with industry stakeholders on Wednesday to explore the option of adopting a common charger for mobile phones and other portable electronic devices. The meeting, to be chaired by Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh, is scheduled after lunch and will be attended by manufacturers of portable electronic devices, including laptops and mobiles.

Representatives from sector-specific associations, industry bodies CII and FICCI and IIT Delhi and IIT BHU will be part of the meeting.

“The meeting will be of an exploratory nature. We will try to know from the stakeholders how a common charger can be adopted in India. We will also try to understand their concerns,” the secretary told PTI.

He said Europe is already working towards adopting this norm.

The meeting with sector-specific organizations will assess the possibility of eliminating the use of multiple chargers in India and reducing the burden on consumers apart from curbing e-waste.

Currently, due to the incompatibility of the ports of the existing charger, consumers are forced to buy a different charger every time they buy a new device.

Recently, the European Union announced the adoption of a USB-C port common charging standard for small electronic devices by 2024. There is a similar demand in America as well.

“If companies can provide service in Europe and the US, why can’t they in India? Portable electronic devices like smartphones and tablets should have a common charger,” an official told earlier.

The official said that if India does not insist on this change, then such products may be dumped here.