India follows EU's example in requiring USB-C charging for smart devices
(2022/11/18)
- Reference: 1668768146
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2022/11/18/india_usb_c_requirements/
- Source link:
India is on a path to require USB-C charging ports in almost all smart devices following actions taken by an inter-ministerial task force.
Rohit Kumar Sing, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, [1]said the move is "in the interest of consumer welfare and prevention of avoidable e-waste."
The broad consensus in the meeting was that USB-C would be required for electronic devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops – but "feature phones" could end up with a different charging option. A sub-committee was formed to determine the fate of wearable devices.
[2]
But things won't change overnight. The move toward USB-C will be done in phases to ensure industry and consumers alike have time to adapt.
[3]
[4]
A similar effort from the EU began last June and became [5]official this October. Beginning in 2026, laptops sold in the EU will be required to use USB-C while phones, tablets, and cameras will make the switch in 2024. The mandate even applies to iPhones in spite of Apple's [6]resistance to dropping its proprietary Lightning charging system.
With the EU already on the path toward USB-C, countries like India could end up as dumping grounds for obsolete phones if they don't follow suit. The US is also urged to [7]adopt USB-C standardization .
[8]India wants to quadruple electronics biz in just four years
[9]India reportedly asks smartphone makers to add local satnav silicon
[10]Google creates $10bn 'digitisation fund' for India
[11]Junk cellphones on Earth would stack higher than the International Space Station
India is considered a mobile-first country. Its digitization came at a time that allowed the country to skip the desktop PC revolution that occurred in the West. Pre-pandemic, the country was already undergoing what Google [12]referred to as a "seismic digital transformation" – only to be further boosted by the pandemic. Its digital economy is [13]forecast to surpass $1 trillion as early as 2025.
With regard to its electronics industry, the government [14]set goals to quadruple production by 2026. Exports have an even more ambitious growth rate of 750 percent by the same year.
[15]
As of 2022, India manufactures electronic goods worth $76 billion, with just $16 billion of that sent to export. The goals take electronic goods production to $300 billion and export to $120 billion in just four years.
To make the goal a possibility, the country's electronics and IT ministry adopted the slogan "first globalize, then localize" – and if India's going to globalize, it makes sense to get in on the change to USB-C early. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1876583
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Y3dlxpI59v6cy8nBUktBMQAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y3dlxpI59v6cy8nBUktBMQAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y3dlxpI59v6cy8nBUktBMQAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/04/eu_usbc_charging/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/27/apple_usbc/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/17/usb_us_senate/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/31/india_electronics_report/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/28/navic_smartphone_india_deadline/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/14/google_india_digitisation_fund/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/14/international_e_waste_day/
[12] https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-apac/marketing-strategies/app-and-mobile/indias-mobile-first-ecosystem-numbers/
[13] https://www.livemint.com/news/world/india-facing-massive-digital-transformation-modi-at-brics-business-forum-11655913777048.html
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/31/india_electronics_report/
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y3dlxpI59v6cy8nBUktBMQAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Rohit Kumar Sing, Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, [1]said the move is "in the interest of consumer welfare and prevention of avoidable e-waste."
The broad consensus in the meeting was that USB-C would be required for electronic devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops – but "feature phones" could end up with a different charging option. A sub-committee was formed to determine the fate of wearable devices.
[2]
But things won't change overnight. The move toward USB-C will be done in phases to ensure industry and consumers alike have time to adapt.
[3]
[4]
A similar effort from the EU began last June and became [5]official this October. Beginning in 2026, laptops sold in the EU will be required to use USB-C while phones, tablets, and cameras will make the switch in 2024. The mandate even applies to iPhones in spite of Apple's [6]resistance to dropping its proprietary Lightning charging system.
With the EU already on the path toward USB-C, countries like India could end up as dumping grounds for obsolete phones if they don't follow suit. The US is also urged to [7]adopt USB-C standardization .
[8]India wants to quadruple electronics biz in just four years
[9]India reportedly asks smartphone makers to add local satnav silicon
[10]Google creates $10bn 'digitisation fund' for India
[11]Junk cellphones on Earth would stack higher than the International Space Station
India is considered a mobile-first country. Its digitization came at a time that allowed the country to skip the desktop PC revolution that occurred in the West. Pre-pandemic, the country was already undergoing what Google [12]referred to as a "seismic digital transformation" – only to be further boosted by the pandemic. Its digital economy is [13]forecast to surpass $1 trillion as early as 2025.
With regard to its electronics industry, the government [14]set goals to quadruple production by 2026. Exports have an even more ambitious growth rate of 750 percent by the same year.
[15]
As of 2022, India manufactures electronic goods worth $76 billion, with just $16 billion of that sent to export. The goals take electronic goods production to $300 billion and export to $120 billion in just four years.
To make the goal a possibility, the country's electronics and IT ministry adopted the slogan "first globalize, then localize" – and if India's going to globalize, it makes sense to get in on the change to USB-C early. ®
Get our [16]Tech Resources
[1] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1876583
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Y3dlxpI59v6cy8nBUktBMQAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y3dlxpI59v6cy8nBUktBMQAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Y3dlxpI59v6cy8nBUktBMQAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/04/eu_usbc_charging/
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/27/apple_usbc/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2022/06/17/usb_us_senate/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/31/india_electronics_report/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/09/28/navic_smartphone_india_deadline/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/14/google_india_digitisation_fund/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/14/international_e_waste_day/
[12] https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-apac/marketing-strategies/app-and-mobile/indias-mobile-first-ecosystem-numbers/
[13] https://www.livemint.com/news/world/india-facing-massive-digital-transformation-modi-at-brics-business-forum-11655913777048.html
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2022/08/31/india_electronics_report/
[15] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/personaltech&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Y3dlxpI59v6cy8nBUktBMQAAAFU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[16] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Dave K
The rules can be amended you know if our needs out-grow USB-C such that a successor is needed...
Great
Andy The Hat
... except when the charger is able to deliver up to however many volts, defaulting to the highest output, or is even a fixed voltage output for a specific device but you have a different device which requires a fixed low voltage with no voltage negotiation so it blows its controllers off.
It's not good enough having a standard physical connector if the device/psu is not *always* defaulting to low power and negotiating *upwards* if it's connected to an "intelligent" device. (I believe a simply example of this is a Raspberry Pi USCB-C power connector ... be careful what you plug into it)
If USB-C turns out to be insufficient for some future requirement, we are just screwed since we can't use a follow-up connector standard?