E-Waste Conundrum: India's Pricing Policy Sparks Legal Protests

India is facing a challenge over new e-waste recycling rules, which have drawn legal action from major electronics companies like Daikin and Samsung. The regulations, aimed at reducing environmental risks and improving recycling rates, have significantly increased compliance costs, leading to industry pushback.

Companies dealing in consumer electronics like Daikin, Hitachi, and Samsung are at odds with the Indian government's recent e-waste regulations, which are perceived as financially burdensome. The country's new rules set a mandatory base payment to recyclers, sparking legal challenges from several industry giants.

The dispute arises amid India's efforts to formalize its largely informal recycling sector and address its problematic e-waste footprint, the third largest globally. Presently, only a small percentage of the nation's e-waste is recycled efficiently, with informal methods carrying high environmental risks.

While India stands firm on its policies meant to enhance waste management through structured pricing, foreign companies argue the measures inflate costs and complicate compliance, leading to potential economic implications in an already burgeoning consumer electronics market.

(With inputs from agencies.)