Government of India set up a panel to set a timeline for adoption of common standard charger in India

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The Department of Consumer Affairs under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution has formed a committee to set a timeline for the adoption of USB Type-C as the standard charging port for electronic products, including smartphones, tablets and laptops.

The committee will be headed by the Additional Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs, Nidhi Khare.

Why need a single charger?

A customer has to buy different types of charger for different electronic products like feature phones, smart phones, laptops, tablets etc.   A lot of e-waste is generated when the customer buys a new model of phone or laptop because they have to buy a new charger. 

To reduce the e waste the government wants a single charger so that customers do not have to change chargers every time they buy a new electronic product.

Why USB type C charger 

USB (Universal Serial Bus) type C charger has a faster charging capability and also it can be used for multiple electronic products which require chagrin capability of 65 watts or less.

Recently the European Union has announced adoption of a common charger for small electronic devices by 2024. 

India is one of the largest manufacturers and exporters of chargers in the world.