Nitin Gadkari launches Bharat NCAP; here's all you need to know about India's car assessment programme

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari launched the much-awaited Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP) on Tuesday. Bharat NCAP is a significant step forward in the Government’s commitment to improve road safety through raising the safety standards of motor vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes in India, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in an official statement.

Bharat New Car Assessment Programme: What is it?

According to the Road Transport Ministry, the programme aims to provide a tool to the car customers to make a comparative assessment of crash safety of motor vehicles available in the market. Under this programme, car manufacturers can voluntarily offer their cars tested as per Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197, it said.

Vehicles will be awarded star ratings for Adult Occupants (AOP) and Child Occupant (COP) based on their performance in the tests. The same will help assess to what extent a car may suffer damage in the event of an accident. Potential car buyers can refer to these star ratings to decide which car to buy by comparing the safety standards of different vehicles.

Bharat NCAP launch today

The government expects the programme to increase the demand for safer cars and encourage 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 government said.

"This is the time when we have the highest priority for how we can save lives of the people, and road safety is the most important thing for that. Somewhere, road engineering is a big problem. We are trying our level best to educate our engineers about the types of mistakes we are repeating in road engineering," said Union minister Nitin Gadkari at the launch event.

"We need to establish co-operation, coordination and communication between the stakeholders. As a government, we are open for all types of suggestion," he added.

The programme is expected to develop a safety sensitive car market in India.

Bharat NCAP: From when will the programme come into force?

The government aims to implement the programme from October 1, 2023.