Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has launched India’s own vehicle safety rating standard, Bharat NCAP (BNCAP). The programme will commence from October 1, 2023, based on Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197.
The programme aims to create an ecosystem of competitive safety enhancements leading to increased awareness among consumers. Consumers can take an informed decision by making a comparative assessment of vehicle performance under crash test conditions.
While the BNCAP is not mandatory, the Government aims to test the base variant of the vehicles under the new standards. Under BNCAP, MoRTH aims to test M1 category vehicles up to 8+1 seating capacity for up to 3.5-tonne vehicles in India.
Nitin Gadkari, Union Ministry, MoRTH, noted that already the ministry has received more than 30 models to be tested under the new standard. He added that while Global NCAP needs around INR 2.5 crore to test a vehicle, BNCAP would require INR 60 lakh. This would open up opportunities for agencies like ARAI and ICAT to act as a global test bed for vehicles.
Speaking of GNCAP, the BNCAP standards, while being unique to Indian conditions, have been formed in support of GNCAP, Mahmood Ahmed, Additional Secretary, MoRTH noted.
While the ministry believes that quality has become the market's need, BNCAP would also enable more exports from India, said Anurag Jain (IAS), Secretary, Road, Transport and Highways.
Gadkari added that India is becoming a quality-centric market rather than a price-centric market, and manufacturing quality products will ensure OEMs for growth not just in India but in the export market as well.
While applauding the decision to launch BNCAP at the right time, Vinod Aggarwal, President, SIAM, noted that the industry should look a ‘4E’ approach to ensure safety, which will include engineering, education, enforcement and emergency response.
Based on the performance of the car in the tests, the car will be awarded star ratings for Adult Occupants (AOP) and Child Occupant (COP). Potential car customers can refer to these star ratings to compare the safety standards of different vehicles and make their purchase decision accordingly.
The ministry believes the demand for safer cars will increase, encouraging car manufacturers to comply with customer needs.
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