India to Mandate USB-C Ports for Phones, Tablets by June 2025: Report

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will soon mandate that all smartphones and tablets sold in India have a USB-C charging port starting June next year. While the rules will be mandatory for smartphones and tablets, feature phone makers may optionally adopt USB-C ports.

According to sources familiar with the matter who revealed this to Mint, the new rules will ensure a common charging standard for most electronic devices in the country. USB-C or Type-C ports will be compulsory for smartphones and tablets, while basic phones, wearables and other accessories will be exempt for now, as per the report.

Similarly, laptops will also need to switch to USB-C ports by the end of 2026. The deadlines have been decided after consultation with device manufacturers.

India is adopting charging port standards similar to those introduced in the European Union last year. Following this, Apple switched to USB-C charging ports for its iPhones from the 15 series. However, Indian authorities are giving OEMs an additional six months to comply with the new norms.

The standardisation of charging ports aims to reduce electronic waste and allow consumers to use a single charger and cable for multiple devices. This will also reduce users' dependency on carrying multiple chargers for each device. At the same time, manufacturers will gain from streamlined supply chains as they shift to a single USB-C component instead of multiple charger types.