The issue was taken up by Secretary of the Department of Consumer Affairs Nidhi Khare in a meeting with automobile associations and their associated companies in the automobile sector with an aim to bring automobile companies on the right to repair portal of India, according to an official statement issued on Saturday.
The meeting was attended by several representatives of automobile associations like ACMA, SIAM, ATMA, EPIC Foundation and companies like Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, TVS, Royal Enfield, Renault and Bosch, Yamaha Motors India, Honda Car India were also present.
The Government has launched the Right to Repair India Portal (https://righttorepairindia.gov.in/) to provide consumers with easy access to information to repair their products and enable them to reuse them, thereby contributing to the circular economy. and the reduction of electronic waste without complications.
At the meeting, it was emphasized that products that cannot be repaired or are subject to planned obsolescence (designed with an artificially limited lifespan) contribute to e-waste and force consumers to purchase new products due to a lack of repair options. or to extremely expensive repair options. for reuse. Therefore, the goal is to remove obstacles such as restricted access to tools or repair information, ensuring that consumers have full ownership of the products they purchase.
“Over time, it has been observed that repair services are becoming increasingly limited due to significant service delays and lack of vehicle repair documentation. Additionally, products are sometimes repaired at excessively high costs, leaving consumers dissatisfied with repair services, often delaying repairs, even if necessary, due to limited repair options,” it noted. at the meeting.
An important limitation is also the availability of original spare parts at affordable prices. Their lack of availability at affordable prices often forces consumers to purchase counterfeit spare parts on gray markets. Additionally, the lack of accessible information for minor repairs or do-it-yourself guides exacerbates consumer distress, increasing their financial burden and overall dissatisfaction.
Emphasis was also placed on offering roadside assistance to consumers, especially on highways, and introducing a vehicle repairability index that provides information on product life, easy-to-repair ecosystem, availability of spare parts, detailed self-repair manual, warranty from different parts.
These measures aim to empower consumers with informed options regarding the after-sales service of their products, in addition to facilitating the full enjoyment of their products. The meeting concluded with a consensus to incorporate the Right to Repair Portal and adopt a greater collaborative approach to provide vibrant after-sales services to consumers.
Discussions also covered topics such as aligning parts standardization along with skilled labor standardization, companies developing catalogs that should benefit consumers for post-purchase service and longevity of product life, and measures to address deceptive practices in repair shops in the name of motor. insurance that contributes to the unnecessary generation of plastic waste.
It was highlighted that the details of Service Center of the companies across India and recognition of third party repairers, if any, by the companies and information about the country of origin will be explicitly mentioned.
Some companies like TVS have shared their post-onboarding experiences on the portal. Companies like Tata Motors and TVS discussed how, based on complaints received from the National Consumer Helpline, they identified key repair issues and subsequently created repair videos accessible to consumers through their official YouTube channels.
The meeting was attended by several representatives of automobile associations like ACMA, SIAM, ATMA, EPIC Foundation and companies like Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, TVS, Royal Enfield, Renault and Bosch, Yamaha Motors India, Honda Car India were also present.
The Government has launched the Right to Repair India Portal (https://righttorepairindia.gov.in/) to provide consumers with easy access to information to repair their products and enable them to reuse them, thereby contributing to the circular economy. and the reduction of electronic waste without complications.
At the meeting, it was emphasized that products that cannot be repaired or are subject to planned obsolescence (designed with an artificially limited lifespan) contribute to e-waste and force consumers to purchase new products due to a lack of repair options. or to extremely expensive repair options. for reuse. Therefore, the goal is to remove obstacles such as restricted access to tools or repair information, ensuring that consumers have full ownership of the products they purchase.
“Over time, it has been observed that repair services are becoming increasingly limited due to significant service delays and lack of vehicle repair documentation. Additionally, products are sometimes repaired at excessively high costs, leaving consumers dissatisfied with repair services, often delaying repairs, even if necessary, due to limited repair options,” it noted. at the meeting.
An important limitation is also the availability of original spare parts at affordable prices. Their lack of availability at affordable prices often forces consumers to purchase counterfeit spare parts on gray markets. Additionally, the lack of accessible information for minor repairs or do-it-yourself guides exacerbates consumer distress, increasing their financial burden and overall dissatisfaction.
Emphasis was also placed on offering roadside assistance to consumers, especially on highways, and introducing a vehicle repairability index that provides information on product life, easy-to-repair ecosystem, availability of spare parts, detailed self-repair manual, warranty from different parts.
These measures aim to empower consumers with informed options regarding the after-sales service of their products, in addition to facilitating the full enjoyment of their products. The meeting concluded with a consensus to incorporate the Right to Repair Portal and adopt a greater collaborative approach to provide vibrant after-sales services to consumers.
Discussions also covered topics such as aligning parts standardization along with skilled labor standardization, companies developing catalogs that should benefit consumers for post-purchase service and longevity of product life, and measures to address deceptive practices in repair shops in the name of motor. insurance that contributes to the unnecessary generation of plastic waste.
It was highlighted that the details of Service Center of the companies across India and recognition of third party repairers, if any, by the companies and information about the country of origin will be explicitly mentioned.
Some companies like TVS have shared their post-onboarding experiences on the portal. Companies like Tata Motors and TVS discussed how, based on complaints received from the National Consumer Helpline, they identified key repair issues and subsequently created repair videos accessible to consumers through their official YouTube channels.