India Planning To Make USB Type-C As Common Charger For Smartphones, Tablets

India is planning to adopt USB Type-C as a common charging port for small devices, consumer affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh has said. Earlier, the European Union (EU) had decided passed rules to introduce a common charger for small electronic devices.

“Industry should overcome inertia in adopting a uniform charging port in the interest of consumer welfare and prevention of avoidable e-waste. This was stated by Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary Department of Consumer Affairs, while chairing a meeting of the Central Inter-Ministerial Task Force constituted to examine the issue of uniformity in charging ports of electronic devices,” said a media release by the Press Information Bureau.

There are no set timelines to implement the USB-C common charger rule in India, but according to a report by The Economic Times, an industry executive has suggested that these changes may be enforced in India after the EU law regarding the same comes into effect in Europe.

“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, laptops etc. Further, it was deliberated that a different charging port may be adopted for feature phones. The Department has also decided to form a sub-group to examine the feasibility of uniform charging port for wearables. The sub-group will include representatives from industry bodies, educational institutions etc,” the media release added.