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

The government will set up expert groups to explore the adoption of common chargers for mobile and all portable electronic devices and submit a detailed report in two months, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said on Wednesday. Emerging out of the meeting with industry stakeholders, the secretary said India can initially think of exploring shifting to two types of chargers, including a C-Type port.

"It is a complex issue. India has a position in the manufacturing of chargers. We have to understand everybody's perspective — industry, the users, manufacturers and environment — before taking a final decision," he said told reporters.

Each stakeholder has a different perspective and expert groups will be formed to examine separately those issues, he said.

Separate expert groups will be formed to study charging ports used in three segments — mobile and feature phones, laptops and iPads, and wearable electronic devices.

The groups will be notified this month and will submit the recommendations in two months, he said.

Although the sector-specific associations and manufacturers agreed to the concerns of e-waste but sought more discussion on the matter, he added.

The announcement came on Wednesday after government's meeting with industry experts and stakeholders on the possibility of using common charger for all mobiles, portable electronic devices.

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

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