Soon, USB Type-C charging port to be mandatory in all devices

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has reportedly come out with quality standards guidelines, under which all the device makers have been directed to ensure products sold in India have USB Type-C ports by March 2025. Under the new rules, consumers will no longer need a different charger every time they purchase a new device, as they will be able to use one single charger for a whole range of small and medium-sized portable electronic devices.

Based on concerns from industry stakeholders, the department of consumer affairs is reportedly planning to mandate USB Type-C chargers for mobile phones, tablets and wearable electronic devices, a news agency reported. Besides, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-Kanpur) is also studying the possibility of a single-charging port for wearable electronic devices like watches, etc. It'll be discussed with the industry once the report is submitted.

The government has set the March 2025 deadline, considering the EU timeline on the USB Type-C charging port, which will end three months before December 8, 2024.

By the end of 2024, all mobile phones, tablets and cameras sold in the EU will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C charging port. From spring 2026, the obligation will extend to laptops. The new law is part of a broader EU effort to reduce e-waste and to empower consumers to make more sustainable choices.

Regardless of their manufacturer, all new mobile phones, tablets, digital cameras, headphones and headsets, handheld videogame consoles and portable speakers, e-readers, keyboards, mice, portable navigation systems, earbuds and laptops that are rechargeable via a wired cable, operating with a power delivery of up to 100 Watts, will have to be equipped with a USB Type-C port, says the regulation passed by the EU Parliament.

The step is also believed to be in sync with the ‘LiFE’ (Lifestyle For Environment) initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP-26). The mission aims to bring individual behaviours to the forefront of the global climate action narrative.

Also, all devices that support fast charging will now have the same charging speed, allowing users to charge their devices at the same speed with any compatible charger.

The LiFE envisions replacing the prevalent 'use-and-dispose' economy — governed by mindless and destructive consumption — with a circular economy, which would be defined by mindful and deliberate utilisation.

The mission intends to nudge individuals to undertake simple acts in daily life that can contribute significantly to climate change when embraced across the world.

It also aims to create and nurture a global network of individuals, namely ‘Pro-Planet People’ (P3), who will have a shared commitment to adopt and promote environmentally friendly lifestyles. Through the P3 community, the mission seeks to create an ecosystem that will reinforce and enable environmentally friendly behaviours to be self-sustainable.