Recently, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) hosted the National Workshop on the Right to Repair Framework for the Mobile and Electronic Sectors. 

Key Highlights of the National Workshop on the Right to Repair Framework for the Mobile and Electronic Sectors

Discussions were held on controlling the practice of planned obsolescence which is withholding of essential information regarding repair Dos and Don’t and repair manuals/videos.

• Aim of the event: 
  • To establish a consensus among industry stakeholders on key parameters for:
    • accessing and evaluating repairability index
    • promoting longevity in product design
    • democratizing repair information to enhance consumer experiences in reusing the mobile and electronics products they own
• Discussion on the Cost of Repair: 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.
• 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 utilisation and sustainable consumption.

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About Repairability Index for Products

The Government will launch a ‘repairability index’ for mobile phones and electronic products by December, a move that will help consumers make informed decisions before purchasing them. 

• Refers: The ‘repairability index’ is a display or information that manufacturers will have to put on electrical and electronic equipment to inform about their repairability. 
• Need: As India emerges as the third largest economy in the world, it should have a vibrant and tech-savvy repair system. 
• Aim: The initiative aims to address the growing e-waste problem and encourage manufacturers to produce more easily repairable items.
• Rating Criteria: The proposed index will rate products on criteria including availability of technical documents, ease of disassembly, spare parts availability and pricing of spare parts. 
  • It will assess various elements that determine how easily a product can be repaired and thereby ultimately promoting a circular economy and reducing e-waste.
  • The repairability index would score products on a scale of 1 to 5. 
  • Score 1: Lowest Score and will be given to products that have increased risk of getting damaged and require dismantling of multiple components to access a single part. 
  • Score 3: Products that offer a compromise, making some components easily accessible while others require more complex disassembly.
  • Score 3: Highest Score and that are easy to repair as they allow direct access to parts without unnecessary removal of other components. 

About Right to Repair Portal

The Right to Repair Portal India encompasses to facilitate and works as a catalyst for providing relevant repair associated information between the consumers and companies.

• Launched by: The Right to Repair Portal India was launched by the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs on National Consumer Rights Day 2022.
• Aim: To provide consumers with access to repair information for their products and reduce e-waste.
• Key Features:
  • Access to product manuals/ repair DIY videos (by linking the websites and youtube channels of the companies),
  • Address the concern on the price and warranty of spare parts,
  • Explicit mention on differences in liability covered guarantee, warranty and extended warranty,
  • Details of Companies Service Centre across India and Recognition third-parties repairers, if any, by the companies, and
  • Information on country of origin to be explicitly mentioned.
    • Coverage: 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 repairs.

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Conclusion

With the rise of electronic use in India, there is a need to emphasize the critical need for transparent and affordable repair solutions, increased consumer awareness, and support local repairers.