For those earning above ₹20,000, replacement predominates, with IT and telecom equipment and large equipment reporting a replacement rate of 65%. | Photo credit: Representative image
Hyderabad shares space with the national capital in accelerated consumerism, reflected in its residents preferring to buy new appliances over repairing faulty ones.
A survey conducted by Toxics Link, an environmental research and advocacy organization, revealed that repair culture in Hyderabad is declining across income groups. The study titled ‘Stitch in Time: Assessing Consumer Behavior and Availability of Electronics Repairs’ was conducted in five cities – Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Nagpur and Ranchi to analyze consumer behaviour, repair practices and challenges faced by the repair industry. He concluded that Delhi and Hyderabad show a dominant “substitution trend” that affects all economic groups and reflects a rapidly changing consumption pattern.
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Significant trade-in trends have been identified in Hyderabad, especially for IT and telecom equipment such as smartphones, laptops and tablets. The lower income groups (₹1-5000) showed a high replacement rate (85.71%) for IT equipment due to outdated technology and repair costs. Small appliances such as toasters, blenders and hair straighteners are replaced 61.54% of the time, while large electrical and electronic appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and air conditioners are rarely replaced due to their high cost.
As income levels rise, replacement ratios increase, with higher income groups favoring convenience and technological upgrades. For those earning above ₹ 20 lakh, replacement is dominant, with IT and telecom equipment and large equipment showing a replacement rate of 65%. Availability of replacement parts is a major issue in appliance repair, and independent repair shops are often dependent on third-party parts that consumers do not trust.
Repair facilities in Hyderabad are partially equipped, with most repair shops relying on non-genuine spare parts due to high cost and limited availability of genuine parts. Technicians who lack formal training often salvage parts from broken equipment or source them from local wholesalers and informal markets. Environmental sustainability is rarely the focus of training programs, which contributes to unsustainable practices.
Another reason that increases the amount of e-waste in the environment is software locks and warranties that discourage third-party repairs. Recommendations for the city include affordable, original spare parts and removal of restrictions on third-party repairs, structured training programs to equip technicians with modern repair techniques, establishment of public-private repair centers, cashback schemes or tax credits for repairs and the imposition of a green tax on early replacements.
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India’s e-waste generation is projected to rise from 34 billion kg in 2010 to 82 billion kg by 2030, the study says, and flaggingly low recycling rates are likely to increase from eight billion kg in 2010 to just 13.6 billion kg by 2030. The widening gap between sustainability and recycling rates highlights a major problem. By choosing to repair rather than replace, the growing e-waste problem can be alleviated while saving energy and raw materials used to make new products, the report says.
Published – 21 March 2026 20:42 IST
