Nitin Gadkari launches Bharat NCAP for improving road safety: All you need to know

Nitin Gadkari, Union minister of Road Transport and Highways, launched the government’s Bharat New Car Assessment Programme or Bharat NCAP on Tuesday, August 22, with an aim to improve road safety and reduce fatalities by raising the safety standards of motor vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. 

As part of the initiative, stringent crash tests and safety evaluations of all new vehicles, manufactured in India, will be conducted to evaluate the structural integrity, occupant protection and child safety provisions. The vehicles will be assessed based on their safety performance. 

“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,” a statement by the ministry said.

All you need to know about Bharat NCAP: 

• The Bharat NCAP is launched with an objective to educate consumers to make informed choices before purchasing a new car. The programme focuses on awarding ratings to the cars based on their performance.  The programme will be effective from October 1, 2023.

• The cars will be rated on a scale of one to five stars: Five-star rating indicates the highest safety standards. 

• The programme will raise the demand for safer cars encouraging car manufacturers to work according to the needs of the consumers. 

• According to news agency PTI, Toyota, Maruti Suzuki, and Mahindra & Mahindra, have termed the programme as a bold step for the automobile sector of India. 

• NCAP will reduce India’s dependence on the US as several cars in the country are crash-tested by Global NCAP, which was developed by the USA. Through the development of Bharat NCAP, Indian cars are expected to compete better in the global market with high safety standards.