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Title: India's 'Frankenstein' Laptop Economy Thrives Against Planned
Obsolescence

Link: https://it.slashdot.org/story/25/04/08/111624...

In Delhi's Nehru Place and Mumbai's Lamington Road, technicians are creating
functional laptops from salvaged parts of multiple discarded devices. These
"Frankenstein" machines sell for approximately $110 USD -- a fraction of the
$800 price tag for new models. Technicians extract usable components --
motherboards, capacitors, screens, and batteries -- from e-waste sourced
locally and from countries like Dubai and China. "Most people don't care
about having the latest model; they just want something that works and won't
break the bank," a technician told Verge. This repair ecosystem operates
within a larger battle against tech giants pushing planned obsolescence
through proprietary designs and restricted parts access. Many technicians
source components from Seelampur, India's largest e-waste hub processing
30,000 tonnes daily, though workers there handle toxic materials with minimal
protection. "India has always had a repair culture," says Satish Sinha of
Toxics Link, "but companies are pushing planned obsolescence, making repairs
harder and forcing people to buy new devices."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

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