India’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs detailed legislation to enforce the adoption of a uniform charging port to curb e-waste and push effective implementation, a move which mirrored a proposal made last month by the European Union (EU).

In a statement issued on 16 November, the ministry explained a task force had been assigned to examine plans to adopt USB-C for devices including smartphones, tablets and laptops.

During a meeting between the task force and industry associations, India’s consumer affairs secretary Rohit Kumar Singh called for the consideration of deploying uniform charging ports “in the interest of consumer welfare and prevention of avoidable e-waste”.

India’s plans will also cover feature phones, with wearable devices including earbuds and smartwatches also in the crosshairs.

The ministry stated its proposal in line with a call by Prime Minister to carefully consider “wasteful consumption” made during the United Nations’ COP26 climate chance conference in 2021.