While the EU’s law to make USB Type-C the common charging standard for all mobile devices takes effect in December 2024, India is also following the path as discussed by officials earlier.
As per the Consumer Affairs Ministry’s statement, all mobile device makers and technology companies in India will have to adopt USB Type-C as the standard charging port for electronic products by March 2025.
This rule requires all smartphones and tablets to use USB Type-C standards. However, we believe that manufacturers will have much more time to implement this standard on laptops, similar to how the EU law gave manufacturers until 2026 to implement.
Regarding the matter, Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs said,
There is a global supply chain at play when it comes to chargers, therefore we have to align ourselves with the global timeline. In India the directive will kick in three months after the European Union.
The objective is to reduce the number of chargers per household, thereby minimising the amount of e-waste generated, said the Consumer Affairs ministry. Also, this is a step toward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) initiative, which asks people all over the world to do “mindful and deliberate usage” instead of “mindful and wasteful consumption.”
Moving ahead, the Department of Consumer Affairs has also formed a group to study a uniform charging port for wearables. We should get more information regarding this matter in the coming weeks.