With the growing number of mobile users in the country, the demand for batteries for mobile phones has been on a rise. Batteries are being sold and consumed as a part of new handsets as well as for replacement purposes. This huge demand has led to threats concerning sale and spread of unbranded and substandard batteries containing hazardous substances affecting the health of the consumers. Thus, a working group has been constituted under the convenership of Arun Sachdeva, senior director, DIT for formulation of standards for batteries for portable applications, under ET 11, a sectional committee at BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards). The working group has decided that the edition 1.0 of IEC 62133 as well as edition 2.0 of IEC 61960 may be immediately taken up for adoption as dual number Indian standard under the fast track adoption procedure of the BIS. Based on this recommendation, the standards for batteries for portable applications which also include mobile phone batteries have been finalised by ET 11. The standards are likely to be published shortly by BIS.
With standards in place, battery manufacturing activity is likely to pick up in India. This is also expected to help build up a battery manufacturing ecosystem and overcome challenges for the ethical market players.
