Union Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Nitin Gadkari will introduce the much-awaited Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) on 22nd August 2023. This programme is a significant step forward in the Government’s commitment to improve road safety through raising the safety standard of motor vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes in India.
The Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) will provide a tool to the car customers to make a comparative assessment of crash safety of motor vehicles on sale in our market. This program will allow car manufacturers can voluntarily offer their cars tested as per Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197. Based on the performance of the car in the tests, car will be awarded star ratings for Adult Occupants (AOP) and Child Occupant (COP). Car customers can see these star ratings to compare the safety standards of different vehicles and accordingly make their purchase-decision.
Government of India believes that the “demand for safer cars will increase, encouraging the car manufacturers to comply with customer needs. With high safety standards, Indian cars will be able to compete better in the global market, increasing the export potential of the car manufacturers in India. The programme is expected to develop a safety sensitive car market in India.”
Until now, Indian buyers are heavily dependent on the crash test rating provided by Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP). In the Global NCAP crash test list, VW Virtus, Skoda Slavia, VW Taigun, Skoda Kushaq and the Mahindra Scorpio N were the top rated cars. Adding to it, Tata Punch, Mahindra XUV300, Tata Altroz, Tata Nexon and the Mahindra XUV700 have also received 5 star crash test rating.
