In the near future, smartphones and other electrical gadgets will include Type-C ports. The Indian government also plans to research how switching to Type-C would affect the environment. Here are some potential effects on the Indian smartphone market:
The Type-C connector will now be required on all electronic gadgets, according to the Indian government. In the interest of consumer welfare and the reduction of avoidable e-waste, the industry “should overcome inertia in adopting a uniform charging port,” according to the official press release issued by the Government of India.
INDIAN GOVERNMENT FORMS SUB-GROUP FOR UNIFORMITY OF CHARGING PORT
At a meeting of the Central Inter-Ministerial Task Force to look into the consistency issue in charging ports of electronic gadgets like wearables and smartphones, among others, this was said by the Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, Rohit Kumar Singh.
Representatives from educational institutions including IIT Kanpur, IIT (BHU), the Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology (MAIT), and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry were present at the conference in question (FICCI). Ministries of the Central Government, such as the Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change, are located in Varanasi.
According to the press release, the board in charge of the meeting decided to accept USB Type-C as a standard for charging devices such laptops, smartwatches, tablets, and smartphones.
The board wants to discuss an alternate charging connector, most likely the Micro USB port, for feature phones. The government further recommends that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) conduct research to ascertain the effects of standard charging ports on electronic trash. According to the press release, the “uniformity in charging port is a step towards LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) campaign, which asks for “mindful and intentional use,” which was announced by the honorable prime minister Shri Narendra Modi at COP-26.
HOW CAN THIS IMPACT THE INDIAN SMARTPHONE INDUSTRY?
As was already said, this choice was taken when the European Union mandated that all electronics manufacturers must give their products a USB-C connector by the year 2024. According to reports, the Indian government may use a similar timetable to require Type-C connections in electronic gadgets.
Let’s now discuss how this could impact the nation’s electronics sector. Popular manufacturers of wearables and other electronic products have recently begun including the USB Type-C port, even on more cheap models. Nowadays, even entry-level smartphones include USB-C connectors. However, some companies—including Cupertino-based Apple—use exclusive charging methods for their laptops and smartphones.
Apple has long produced iPhones with Lightning connectors, but it now sells iPads and MacBooks that support Type-C ports. Users must therefore carry two distinct types of charging cables to power their iPhone, iPad, and MacBook, even after purchasing goods from the same company. However, Apple would be forced to abide once the Indian government makes Type-C ports mandatory.
