Government to set up expert groups to explore adoption of common chargers for mobiles, electronic devices

Government to Set Up Expert Groups for Exploring Adoption of Common Chargers for Mobiles, Electronic Devices

Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh on Wednesday said the government will constitute expert groups to adopt common chargers for mobiles and all portable electronic devices and submit a detailed report in two months. Exiting the meeting with industry stakeholders, the Secretary said that India may initially think of shifting to two types of chargers, including the C-type port.

“It is a complex issue. So is India’s position in manufacturing chargers. We have to understand everyone’s perspective- industry, user, manufacturer and environment before taking a final decision,” he told reporters.

He said each stakeholder has a different point of view and expert groups would be formed to examine those issues separately.

Separate expert group will be formed to study the charging ports used in the three sections , Mobiles and feature phones, laptops and iPads, and wearable electronic devices.

He said the groups would be notified this month and would submit recommendations in two months.

He said that though sector-specific associations and manufacturers agree with the concerns of e-waste, but have sought further discussion on the matter.

The announcement was made on Wednesday after the government’s meeting with industry experts and stakeholders on the possibility of using common chargers for all mobile, portable electronic devices.

Currently, in India, due to port incompatibility of existing chargers, 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.


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