The Right to Repair has evolved from a matter of consumer convenience into a wider legal, regulatory and sustainability issue. As products increasingly depend on firmware, proprietary diagnostics, embedded software and AI-enabled systems, the ability to repair what one owns now intersects with property rights, intellectual property, competition law, consumer protection, data governance and environmental regulation.
This White Paper examines the current state of India’s Right to Repair framework, including the Right to Repair Portal, the proposed Repairability Index, and the broader consumer protection, competition, e-waste, circular economy and intellectual property regimes that shape repair access in India. It also compares India’s emerging approach with the European Union’s more binding and multi-layered model, where repairability is increasingly embedded in product design, consumer remedies, and sustainability regulation.
The paper concludes with policy and legislative recommendations to strengthen India’s repair ecosystem and to move towards an enforceable Right to Repair framework within the country’s circular economy strategy.
Prepared by Bridge Counsels in collaboration with Re: Gen Collective, this White Paper is intended for policymakers, legal professionals, sustainability stakeholders, industry participants, manufacturers, repair ecosystem actors and civil society organisations. It is published for academic, research, and policy discussion purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.
