Device manufacturers have been given a deadline of March 2025, to ensure the products they sell in India have a USB Type-C port for charging. Called the common charger directive, device manufacturers will have to ensure that they follow a common USB Type-C wired charging.
The European Union (EU) has already given a deadline of December 28, 2024 to device manufacturers for compliance, and the mandate will be enforced a few months after that in India, starting March 2025.
“There is a global supply chain at play when it comes to chargers, therefore we have to align ourselves with the global timeline,” said Rohit Kumar Singh, secretary, ministry of consumer affairs, speaking with The Economic Times. “In India the directive will kick in three months after the European Union,” he added.
The Indian Government has also formed another sub group to examine the feasibility of having a common charger standard for wearables sold in India. It’s worth noting that most Android phones come with USB Type-C ports out of the box, it’s only Apple that has to make the change, and move away from their proprietary Lightning ports.
The March 2025 deadline is also set for smartphones, for now, and laptop manufacturers have until 2026 to make the changes required.