India is all set to shift to USB-C type as common charging port for smart devices. The decision came after stakeholders reached a consensus at meeting of an inter-ministerial task force, consumer affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Wednesday.
“During the meeting, a broad consensus emerged among stakeholders on adoption of USB Type – C as a charging port for electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops etc. Further, it was deliberated that a different charging port may be adopted for feature phones,” Singh said.
In order to standardize charging ports which are compatible to all smart devices, the government held wide-ranging consultations but are yet to reach a decision over the charges for low-cost feature phone. With the move, users will no longer require different chargers every time they purchase a new device. Besides, the move will also reduce massive amounts of e-waste.
Many advanced economies have already adopted the move to standardize the charging port. Recently The European Union(EU) sought to make C type , standard for all devices. According to a report, On June 7 this year, the EU had passed a provisional legislation to require all future smartphones sold in the EU, including Apple’s iPhone, to be equipped with the universal USB-C port for wired charging by mid-2024.
An important concern that India has expressed is that once the EU makes the shift, obsolete phones and equipment could be dumped here, a second official said
“Globally, the shift is towards USB-C ports, so it would make sense for us to adopt it. One important point is that the rate of technological obsolescence in the electronic industry is very high and what is in today, is out tomorrow,” said Ajay Garg, member, Electronic Industries Association of India.
With the approach of standard chargers, the officials hope that the phone makers will adopt cost cutting through chargers in product packaging as most consumers will already have the charger necessary.