By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, AUG 30, 2024: THE Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), Government of India, hosted a groundbreaking National Workshop on the Right to Repair Framework for the Mobile and Electronic Sectors here today. The event was aimed at establishing a consensus among industry stakeholders on key parameters for accessing and evaluating repairability index, promoting longevity in product design, and democratizing repair information to enhance consumer experiences in reusing the mobile and electronics products they own.

The workshop's primary goal was to address the current challenges in the repair and reuse of mobile and electronic products. The objective was to ensure that the product is not designed to fail but designed to last long so that consumers are not compelled to purchase new products due to a lack of repair options or exorbitant repair costs.

During the workshop, Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, sparked vital discussions on controlling the practice of planned obsolescence which is withholding of essential information regarding repair Dos and Don't, repair manual/videos and lack of availability of spare parts by manufacturers leaves mobiles and electronics abandon and forces consumers towards the risks associated with counterfeit parts from grey markets. Additionally, a major concern addressed was the excessively high costs of repairs, which often lead to consumer dissatisfaction and delays repair. This necessitates the need for repairability index, employment generation through aatmanirbhar bharat, and making India a global repair hub along with the leader of the south.

In the inaugural address, Bharat Khera, Additional Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs, emphasized the critical need for transparent and affordable repair solutions, increased consumer awareness, support local repairers. He highlighted the importance of developing a robust Right to Repair framework to empower consumers and promote sustainable practices within the tech industry.

The Department has already launched the Right to Repair Portal India which encompasses to facilitate and works as catalyst for providing relevant repair associated information between the consumers and companies. The information includes:

i. Access to product manuals/ repair DIY videos (by linking the websites and youtube channels of the companies);

ii. Address the concern on the price and warranty of spare parts;

iii. Explicit mention on differences in liability covered guarantee, warranty and extended warranty;

iv. Details of Companies Service Centre across India and Recognition third-parties repairers, if any, by the companies and

v. Information on country of origin to be explicitly mentioned.

As on date total 63+ companies onboarded the portal including 23 from mobile and electronics sector providing information on repair, authorized repairers, sources of spare parts, third party repairers.

The workshop also featured three technical sessions where participants had the opportunity to exchange ideas, share best practices, and explore collaborative solutions to delve into reducing repair gaps for products repair information, importance of integrating international best practices including of France, European Union, United Kingdom, New York etc. and designing for longevity to enhance repairability via enhancing product sustainable design, employment generation through Aatmanirbhar Bharat, ecological concerns, parameters for repairabilty index and addressing the challenges for promoting the rights of consumers and initiatives taken globally, replacing use and dispose economy" with "circular economy" and "mindless consumption" with "mindful utilization.

The workshop encouraged the need for a repairability index for products to improve consumer access to warranty & repair options and promote sustainable product design. This initiative aims to empower consumers and support a transition towards mindful utilization and sustainable consumption.