India s Department of Consumer Affairs advocates for a uniform charging port for all electronics, including wearables. India's move came a couple of months after the European Union approved and mandated rules to introduce a universal charger for a wide range of electronic equipment, including Apple iPhones.
Most Android phones use micro-USB, and only a handful use USB Type-C port. Apple's iPhones still have a proprietary lightning port. Even Apple will have to switch to Type-C port to sell iPhones in the EU.
Rohit Kumar Singh, secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, was chairing a meeting of the Central Inter-Ministerial Task Force, which examined the issue of uniformity in charging ports of electronic devices, and said that the industry should overcome inertia in adopting a uniform charging port in the interest of consumer welfare and prevention of avoidable e-waste. The meeting was attended by representatives from industry associations such as MAIT, FICCI, CII, educational institutions including IIT Kanpur, IIT BHU Varanasi and Central Government ministries, including the Ministry of Environment Forrest and Climate Change MoEFCC. They decided that a different charging port could be adopted for feature phones.
The Department has decided to form a sub-group which will include representatives from industry bodies, educational institutions, etc. The feasibility of having a uniform charging port for wearables was examined. All wearables, including a smartwatch or fitness band, come with a different charger. Even different models from the same company have separate chargers, surprisingly.
The MoEFCC might conduct an impact study to assess and examine the impact of uniform charging ports in electronic devices with regard to e-waste. Stakeholders agreed that a phased roll-out of the common charging port could be carried out so that the same can be applied by the industry and adopted by consumers harmoniously.