New Delhi, May 2 (PTI) Smartphone and tablet manufacturers will soon have to rate their products on a repairability index to help consumers take informed decision as a government panel on Friday submitted a report recommending a framework for that.

'The Framework on Repairability Index for Mobile and Electronic Sector' aims to help consumers make informed decisions while purchasing devices, on the lines of energy efficiency ratings applicable for electrical appliances.

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The panel, constituted by the consumer affairs ministry and chaired by Additional Secretary Bharat Khera, finalised the framework after reaching consensus among industry and consumer organisations.

"Companies are not manufacturing devices for life. They are actually forcing consumers to buy another product because they have planned for their obsolescence. Technology has favoured making sure products fail and have short lifespans," Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare told PTI.

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The whole purpose of the repairability index is to sensitise manufacturers about their responsibility for providing a repair ecosystem and to also rate their products on the index so that consumers can take informed decisions, she said.

The panel has submitted the report to the ministry, Khare said and added, "The ministry will examine the recommendations and accordingly will issue some guidelines."

In its first phase, the framework will cover smartphones and tablets, after analyzing nearly 20,000 consumer complaints received on the National Consumer Helpline regarding effectiveness of repair ecosystems.

"... the next stage could be laptops, desktops and other products," the committee chairman Khera said.

The panel has recommended a five-point rating scale that should be prominently displayed at points of sale, on packaging, and websites. Original Equipment Manufacturers will be responsible for declaring the rating upfront.

The rating will be based on several parameters including repairability of key components like display screens, batteries, camera assemblies, charging ports, and speakers; ease of disassembly; types of fasteners and tools used; availability of spare parts; and software update policies.

"If a particular service is satisfactory, it will get a score of five. If it is intermediary, it will get a score of three," Khera explained.

Similar standards exist in the EU, the US, and France, while other countries are working towards implementing such measures.

"India being an important economy could not have been left behind," the panel chief added.

India is the world's second largest market for smartphones after China.

While feature phones are not currently covered under the index, Khera indicated that the scope could gradually expand.

"Once this is implemented, there will be learning throughout and then we can increase the scope," he noted.

The consumer affairs ministry will examine the recommendations before issuing guidelines.

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