Spare laptop accessories stacked inside a Nehru Place shop that specializes in laptop and mobile repairs.
In a dimly lit, cluttered workshop in Delhiâs Nehru Place, the air hums with the sound of whirring drills and the crackle of soldering irons. Sushil Prasad, a 35-year-old technician, wipes the sweat off his brow as he carefully pieces together the guts of an old laptop. It is a daily ritual â resurrecting machines by stitching together motherboards, screens, and batteries scavenged from other trashed older laptops and e-waste â to create functional, low-cost devices.
âIndia has always had a repair culture ⦠but companies are pushing planned obsolescenceâ
“Right now, there is a huge demand for such âhybridâ laptops,” Prasad says, his hands swapping out a damaged motherboard. “Most people donât care about having the latest model; they just want something that works and wonât break the bank.”
Across India, in metro markets from Delhiâs Nehru Place to Mumbaiâs Lamington Road, technicians like Prasad are repurposing broken and outdated laptops that many see as junk. These âFrankensteinâ machines â hybrids of salvaged parts from multiple brands â are sold to students, gig workers, and small businesses, offering a lifeline to those priced out of Indiaâ …
Read the full story at The Verge.