According to a report, the smartphones sold in India will require a standardized charging connector which is likely to be the widely used USB Type-C port. This new rule is said to be aimed at allowing users to use a single cable to charge multiple devices, a measure to reduce e-waste, similar to the mandate issued by the European Union (EU) in 2022 that comes into force at the end. of this year The government could also mandate the use of a Type-C port for charging laptops at a later date.
Standardized USB Type-C port
Citing people familiar with the matter, Livemint reports that the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) may soon ask device makers to include uniform charging ports in smartphones and tablets. This directive is said to include laptops as well, but this rule is said to come into effect from 2026. The charging port in question is speculated to be the modern USB Type-C connector.
According to the report, the purported mandate will not include wearable devices such as smart watches and feature phones. This measure is said to come into effect from June 2025 and is said to aim to reduce e-waste generated by various types of cables used by devices, allowing the user to charge all their devices with a single cable .
The EU also passed a similar mandate in 2022, making USB Type-C the standard charging port for hardware such as smartphones, tablets, cameras, headphones and earphones, portable video game consoles and portable speakers. This move forced Apple to replace its proprietary Lightning port with USB Type-C, starting with the iPhone 15 series in 2023.
In November 2022, the government reached a consensus to adopt USB Type-C as the standard charging method. After a meeting with industry stakeholders, Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh said at the time, “During the meeting, a broad consensus emerged among stakeholders on the adoption of USB Type-C as a charging port for electronic devices such as smartphones and tablets. and laptops.”
Although no time frame was mentioned at the time, it appears that India is preparing to announce its common charging rules. The recent report also suggests that MeitY will provide six months of additional time to “ensure compliance” by all stakeholders.
