Expert groups to weigh common charger across devices

The government has made it clear that it wants to implement a common charging standard across mobile devices but hasn't set a timeline as it needs to hold extensive consultations with the industry.

It is expected to form three expert groups to study the matter.

On Wednesday, the government held preliminary talks with stakeholders to explore how such a standard can be achieved across devices including mobile handsets, laptops, tablets, smart speakers, wireless earbuds, and smart watches, among others.

At the meeting between officials of the consumer affairs ministry, electronics manufacturers and industry stakeholders, IT hardware manufacturers such as Dell and HP opposed the move while smartphone brands said they were already close to having USB-C type charging ports as a common standard, except for feature phones, executives present at the meeting said.

Ministry officials said they would set up three expert groups to understand how the common standard can be achieved.

The expert groups will study three broad segments - laptops and tablets, smartphones and feature phones, and wearables and smartwatches.

Executives of smartphone brands such as Samsung and Apple, hardware makers HP, Dell and Lenovo and industry organisations like Ficci, CII and ICEA, as well as representatives from IIT-Delhi and IIT-BHU, were present at the meeting. ET emailed queries to all the companies and industry associations but did not get responses as of press time Wednesday.

IT hardware manufacturers pushed back on the government's intent to have a common charging standard, saying laptops vary on their power requirements, and are served by multiple charging standards.

While some laptops support USB-C type charging, most budget and high-end laptops rely on proprietary barrel-pin chargers.