Cars in India to get safety rating based on crash tests

The government has approved the draft GSR (General Statutory Rules) notification for Bharat NCAP or New Car Assessment Programme. Like other safety watchdogs across the world, the Bharat NCAP will test the crashworthiness of automobiles sold in India by giving them star ratings based on their performance in crash tests. Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has announced that that "the testing protocol of Bharat NCAP shall be aligned with global crash test protocols factoring in the existing Indian regulations, allowing OEMs to get their vehicles tested at India's own in-house testing facilities."

Gadkari believes that the new Bharat NCAP will serve as a consumer-centric platform which will allow car buyers in India to opt for safer cars based on their star rating. He says that this will also promote healthy competition among OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturer) in India to build safer vehicles. Nitin Gadkari also said, "Bharat NCAP will prove to be a critical instrument in making our automobile industry Aatmanirbhar with the mission of making India the Number 1 automobile hub in the world."

Bharat NCAP will prove to be a critical instrument in making our automobile industry Aatmanirbhar with the mission of making India the Number 1 automobile hub in the world.

— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) June 24, 2022

As of now, the union minister has not revealed a timeline as to by when will Bharat NCAP hit the floor, or where will the vehicles crash tested. Nonetheless, this is certainly a big and much-needed safety initiative by the Government of India. Up until now, the Global NCAP has been testing Made-In-India cars under its "Safer Cars for India" initiative, which has been assessing vehicles for their crashworthiness. While there have been several low-safety rated cars