The Centre asked the automobile companies to join the unified Right to Repair Portal India which has been launched by the Department of Consumer Affairs to provide consumers with an easy access to information for repairing their products and enabling them to reuse it. The meeting, chaired by Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare, was attended by various representatives of Automobile Associations like ACMA, SIAM, ATMA, EPIC Foundation and companies including TATA Motors, Mahindra, TVS, Royal Enfield, Renaulds and Bosch, Yamaha Motors India, and Honda Car India. “Companies were urged to on board the portal which facilitates and works as a catalyst to provide relevant repair associated information between the consumers and companies,” the official said. During the meeting, it was emphasised that products that cannot be repaired or subject to planned obsolescence compel consumers to buy new products due to lack of repair options or if it is expensive and contribute to e-waste, the official said. “The goal is to eliminate obstacles such as restricted access to tools or repair information, ensuring that consumers have complete ownership of products they purchase,” the official said. “Over time, it has been noted that repair services are increasingly constrained due to significant delays in service and absence of repair documentation for vehicles,” the official said, adding that a major constraint is the availability of genuine spare parts at affordable prices, which forces consumers to purchase counterfeit parts. “Discussions were also held on aligning standardisation of parts along with standardisation of skilled workmanship, companies developing catalogues that should benefit consumers for post-purchase service and longevity of products life, and steps to curb deceptive practices in repair workshops in the name of motor insurance that contribute to plastic waste,” the official said.
