The Indian government is following the footsteps of the European Union (EU) in its latest mandate requiring the use of USB Type-C on various electronic devices to reduce e-waste. It has now asked manufacturers to switch to USB-C as the default charging port for all electronic devices in the country by March 2025.
This move will greatly impact Apple, which uses Lightning cables to charge most of its devices, including iPhones. However, it seems that not all electronic devices will sport the standard. According to a report by Mint, feature phones, wearables, and hearables will not be required to have a USB-C port as doing so would make the devices more expensive.
India is a large market for feature phones and other devices that don"t use USB-C charging ports, according to a senior official of the Indian government quoted by Mint. They say that this is different compared to the situation in Europe, where many people use smartphones. As such, the Indian government has created another committee to discuss a common charger for wearables and hearables.
Aside from smartphones, laptops will also be required to have USB-C charging ports. However, unlike smartphone manufacturers, laptop manufacturers will have until 2026 to comply, similar to the EU"s timeline.