The government has launched a pilot project on electronics repair services outsourcing (ERSO) to make India a global hub for electronics repair. The pilot is being conducted in Bengaluru and will run for three months starting May 31, 2023.
The project has been identified as a game-changer for India and has been supported by the government to make India a world leader in a hitherto untapped domain. According to the government, the policy and process changes required for ERSO have been introduced over the last few months by different departments of the government after in-depth discussions with the repair industry and are being validated for their efficacy and efficiency through a limited pilot that has been launched.
The ERSO project will support the government’s Mission LiFE. It aims to replace the ‘use-and-dispose’ economy with a circular economy model, which would be defined by mindful and deliberate utilisation. It will enable the extension of device life globally by providing cheap and reliable repair of information and communication technology (ICT) products for the world.
Five companies, namely Flex, Lenovo, CTDI, R-Logic and Aforeserve have volunteered for the pilot. Post the pilot, a detailed assessment will be carried out and modifications will be made in the process and policy as necessary. Over the next five years, India’s ERSO industry is likely to fetch up to $20 billion in revenue and also generate millions of jobs.
