Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: TH
Apple’s surprising reversal on the “right to repair” movement holds immense significance, considering it was previously among the tech giants opposing the concept.
Apple now supports legislation granting consumers and third-party firms the right to fix damaged electronic products. This shift aligns with a broader trend of tech companies adapting to consumer demands for greater control over their devices.
What is the Right to Repair?
The Right to Repair refers to government legislation that is intended to allow consumers the ability to repair and modify their own consumer electronic devices, where otherwise the manufacturer of such devices requires the consumer to use only their offered services.
The logic behind ‘Right to Repair’?
When customers buy a product, it is inherent that they must own it completely, for which the consumers should be able to repair and modify the product with ease and at a reasonable cost, without being captive to the whims of manufacturers for repairs.
Origin of the Idea: The idea originally originated from the USA where the Motor Vehicle Owners’ Right to Repair Act 2012, required the manufacturers to provide the necessary documents and information to allow anyone to repair their vehicles.
Previously, MeitY launched a pilot project on Electronics Repair Services Outsourcing (ERSO) to make India a Global Repair Capital.
Through the ERSO scheme, India hopes to capture 20% of the global repair service market – currently valued at $100 billion – in five years. At present, India’s revenue from repair services is about $350 million.
