ET BureauMUMBAI: The environment ministry has turned down Foxconn’s proposal to import refurbished phones on grounds that it violates India’s e-waste rules. The rejection is in line with the position the government took to deny Apple the same rights.
Foxconn, which manufactures smartphones for Apple, Samsung and Microsoft, had taken this up with Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar about a couple of weeks back in Mumbai. But, sources told ET, that the minister made it clear to senior Foxconn officials then and there that it was not going to be possible for him to take the request forward.
“Yes it (proposal) was made, but I have told them that we cannot go against our e-waste management rules,” Javadekar told ET when contacted. Foxconn, however, did not respond to detailed queries sent by ET on the issue. The proposal by itself has got many industry watchers curious, even speculating that Foxconn was, perhaps, batting for Apple from the other door.
“Inforeign markets like the US, UK and Canada, iPhone sets manufactured by Apple have a limited shelf life as most people go for newer models every year. The older models then can be shipped to countries like India. Foxconn too has a stake in it as more upgrades would lead to more orders,” said a telecom industry expert on condition of anonymity.
While denying Apple permission to import 1,00,000 iPhones and 2,50,000 iPads last July, the environment ministry’s Technical Review Committee had observed: “The items proposed to be imported are known to have short functional life and are prone to become obsolete in short period of time. Therefore, generation of e-waste would become quicker in the country”.
Foxconn, which manufactures smartphones for Apple, Samsung and Microsoft, had taken this up with Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar about a couple of weeks back in Mumbai. But, sources told ET, that the minister made it clear to senior Foxconn officials then and there that it was not going to be possible for him to take the request forward.
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“Inforeign markets like the US, UK and Canada, iPhone sets manufactured by Apple have a limited shelf life as most people go for newer models every year. The older models then can be shipped to countries like India. Foxconn too has a stake in it as more upgrades would lead to more orders,” said a telecom industry expert on condition of anonymity.
While denying Apple permission to import 1,00,000 iPhones and 2,50,000 iPads last July, the environment ministry’s Technical Review Committee had observed: “The items proposed to be imported are known to have short functional life and are prone to become obsolete in short period of time. Therefore, generation of e-waste would become quicker in the country”.
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