Right to repair: Delhi's cellphone and auto markets cautiously optimistic

Now, as the Centre seeks to come out with a framework on 'Right to Repair' to facilitate self or third-party repair of products, chances are that new products will be available in the open market

Inside the bylanes of Karol Bagh, New Delhi, is Gaffar Market — a world of its own. Rumour has it that there is no device that cannot be repaired here.

Repairing means two things at Gaffar: substituting the faulty electrical part with a cheap Chinese copy or replacing it with a working part from an old refurbished device. It is how things have worked for years.

“Almost 90 per cent of the parts we use while repairing phones come from China. Some parts are original — in the sense that they are cannibalised from old, dead phones of the same brand,” says Tanuj Khanna, who owns City Telecom, a mobile phone repair shop.

Now, as the Centre seeks to come out with a framework on ‘Right to Repair’ to facilitate self or third-party repair of products, chances are that new, original products will be available in the open market and not be limited to authorised dealerships and service shops.

“No company provides parts, and what traders call original here are essentially working parts salvaged from refurbished phones,” reiterates Pradeep Chaudhary, a former engineer with brands like Gionee and Micromax.

“Dealers refuse to sell us the original parts and I doubt if they will be willing to do so even if this provision is put in place. But if they do, it will be really beneficial for the customer who will no longer be restricted to specific shops to get phones or laptops repaired,” says Chaudhary.

“Not only will the options increase, but the repairmen will also be able to give authentic company bills for the services they are currently unable to provide,” he adds.

Some 10 km from Gaffar Market, at the auto market in Mayapuri, the definition of repair remains more or less the same. The market deals in scrap — buying old cars from scrap yards and tearing them apart to salvage parts that can be used.

The smell of grease hangs heavy in the air. For an auto market, it is strangely quiet, save for the occasional car horn and the periodic sound of a spanner hitting metal.

Ashwani Kumar, who owns an auto shop in the area, isn’t optimistic about the proposed Right to Repair regulatory framework. The Union government’s proposed move, he says, will not make much difference unless strict laws are brought in to outlaw scrap dealing.

“If there is the option of buying cheaper parts, a significant share of people will go for it. If your car doesn’t have a lot of years left, why would anyone buy a genuine product, which will be that much more expensive?” he says, adding, “The right can be good but it will make a real difference only if bought in tandem with abolishing scrap dealing altogether.”

While there may be many benefits to customers, the move will take away any room for bargaining as the price points of parts will be fixed by the auto company, points out Harpal Singh, owner of another motor shop in the market.

At the adjoining Pankha Road auto market, garage and service shop owners claim genuine parts are already easily available, so the proposed framework doesn’t make much difference to their business.

“I have faced no issue in procuring genuine products from companies like Maruti and Tata,” says Raj Kumar Kapoor, owner, City Motors car repair shop.

At Auto Czar — Maruti Suzuki’s outlet for genuine car parts — the move is welcome.

“It is always better to have genuine parts being used in your car, and the provision will increase their availability in the open market,” says Saurabh Sharma, the outlet manager.

But if these parts are already available – as some say they are –what difference will the proposed framework make?

“The accessibility increases, and it also obviously helps our business,” says Sharma. “In the one year since our store opened, our monthly sales have grown from Rs 6 lakh to Rs 20 lakh, which signifies that there is a clear demand for genuine products.”