Smartphones sold in India will require a standardized charging connector which is likely to be the widely used USB Type-C port, the report said. The 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 2022 mandate issued by the European Union (EU), which comes into effect at the end of this year. The government may also mandate the use of the 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 direct device manufacturers to include unique charging ports in smartphones and tablets. The directive is said to also include laptops, but the rule will reportedly come into force from 2026. It is speculated that the charging port in question will be the modern USB Type-C connector.
According to the report, the purported mandate will not include wearables like smartwatches and feature phones. The move will reportedly come into effect from June 2025 and is said to be aimed at reducing e-waste generated by multiple 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 on hardware such as smartphones, tablets, cameras, headsets, handheld video game consoles and portable speakers. The 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 reportedly 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, tablets and laptops. “
Although no time frame was mentioned at the time, it seems that India is now gearing up to announce its common rules on chargers. A recent report also suggested that MeitY would provide six months of additional time to “ensure compliance” by all stakeholders.
