[Sagar_87]

Hello family,

India has finally acknowledged that consumers need the option of getting their products repaired outside the designated service centres. I believe this is a huge step for everyone looking to get their vehicles repaired at their preferred places. This also means that manufacturers will have to provide the spares in open market, which is an issue for number of brands like Honda, Toyota and most of luxury manufacturers.

The site mentions registered brands which doesn't have any car brand till now but hopefully they will comply with the norm. For those keen on knowing more can check the link below:
https://righttorepairindia.gov.in/index.php

FAQ's:
https://righttorepairindia.gov.in/faqs.php
Please do correct incase of erroneous information.

[AZT]

Is this optional? I was hoping to see Apple on this list but I dont see it happening if brands have a choice to enrol or not.

[GTO]

It's been spoken about for a long time. I see a thread from 2012, 2019 and posts on the CCI thread.

What is Right to Repair? From Wikipedia:

The right to repair refers to proposed government legislation to forbid manufacturers to impose barriers that deny consumers the ability to repair and modify their own consumer products (e.g. electronic, automotive devices or farm vehicles such as tractors). Such barriers require consumers to use only the manufacturer's offered services by restricting access to tools and components, and include software barriers that hinder independent repair or modification. Right to repair may also refer to the movement of citizens putting pressure on their governments to create enabling laws.

As AZT said, this cannot be optional. If it rolls out, right-to-repair has to be mandatory for all OEMs. But I still keep reading on USA forums how car manufacturers block independent garages directly & indirectly. Example, by charging such exorbitant fees for their software access that only big & famous garages can afford it...the smaller guys cannot. Today's cars are so electronically complex that right-to-repair isn't simply about selling spare parts over the counter.

I am not that optimistic about the status quo changing.

[ninjatalli]

Unfortunately I don't see any legislation (or even a draft policy) on this in the public domain. This official press release from nearly a year ago talks exactly about what's available on the website; only addition are the links to the "registered brands". But it isn't clear what terms & conditions have they exactly registered for.

Currently if one goes down any of these links (say Samsung) and sub-links (say Galaxy S23), you eventually get rerouted back to the Samsung India website page(s).

[dhanushs]

With cars going the EV way, there wont be much you can do from a Friendly Neighborhood guy. Except for may be changing the tyres, seat covers, better dampers etc..

Even if something like this comes, the end result wont be that different. End of the day, the law is as strong as it is enforced.

[lucas_hood]

I believe that India's recognition of the importance of providing consumers with the option to repair their products outside of designated service centers is a step in the right direction for improving consumer rights and promoting fair competition in the market. By granting consumers greater access and choice in repair services, the government is leveling the playing field for smaller repair shops and third-party service providers.

The mandate for manufacturers to provide spares in the open market is also a significant move towards greater transparency and accountability in the supply chain. This will benefit consumers by reducing the cost of repairs and improving the availability of spare parts.

But let's not kid ourselves, this policy may not sit well with certain manufacturers who rely on their service centers for revenue. And sure, the quality and safety of repairs by third-party service providers may raise some concerns. That's why it's crucial for the government to enforce appropriate regulations and standards to safeguard consumers.

It will be interesting to compare India's approach to right to repair with other countries, such as the United States and European Union, which have also taken steps towards promoting right to repair policies. In the US, there is a heated debate on the issue of right to repair for electronic devices, with some manufacturers opposing legislation that would require them to make repair manuals and spare parts available to consumers.

Overall, India's recognition of the right to repair is a positive development, with the potential to benefit consumers, small businesses, and the broader economy. Manufacturers, regulators, and service providers must collaborate to ensure effective implementation of this policy, enabling consumers to access safe, high-quality repair services at a reasonable cost.

[Contrapunto]

Originally Posted by Sagar_87

Hello family,

India has finally acknowledged that consumers need the option of getting their products repaired outside the designated service centres. For those keen on knowing more can check the link below:
https://righttorepairindia.gov.in/index.php

FAQ's:
https://righttorepairindia.gov.in/faqs.php
Please do correct incase of erroneous information.

I don't think it is well understood but the biggest expected benefit for right-to-repair is not for "consumers to tinker and repair" their own goods, but the systematic development of an independent repair and maintenance ecosystem Sure, a few geeky, hands-on customers may undertake their own repairs too, but they would be a minority.

However, as in many things, there are many sides to an argument. Many modern automobiles (as more electrify) and definitely computer systems, IOT devices etc are increasingly becoming "integrated systems" of complex hardware and fragile software. As much as many, many, many consumers hate it, manufacturers often have a very valid concern on data security and system integrity. So new norms will need to be evolved, and of course consumers opting for independent repairs may need to waive of subsequent liability for the OEMs and manufacturers. As an example, why should I, as an EV maker, be anyway accountable for your battery fire if you have taken it to an independent garage who may have tampered with the power electronics.

....to complicate it further, there is also the issue of software and embedded firmware. Are those part of this legislation? Why/ why not? And arguing both sides, why should I give you my proprietary code to copy / distribute and sell? I see security in "locking it down" in some tamper-resistant module, which I could sell to you, of course, for an extortionate price... I hope everyone "sees the big picture"

Needless to say, my points is not of course relevant for repairing your Ford EcoSport or mechanical parts of legacy systems, but "what's coming next".

Disclosure- I am a pretty hands-on "tinkering guy" of all kinds of electronics stuff. So I am definitely an ally of this movement - and would also like to see many more segments added to the list.