BharatNCAP: Parametres To Eligibility To Cost, All You Need To Know About India's New Safety Rating System

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways introduced a new safety rating system for passenger cars, the Bharat NCAP. The new safety system will come into effect on October 1, 2023. With the implementation of Bharat NCAP, India will become the fifth nation in the world to have its own safety system to assess vehicle crash tests. Vehicles which will clear the crash test will have the Bharat NCAP emblem and a sticker. The price of testing an automobile under the Bharat NCAP programme is around Rs 60 lakh. If the same test is conducted abroad, it costs around Rs 2.5 crore.

Bharat NCAP ratings and vehicles eligible for the test:

In accordance with Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197, automakers are free to voluntarily offer their vehicles for testing. The vehicle will be given star ratings for how well it performed during the test in the Adult Occupants and Child Occupants category (AOP and COP, respectively).

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M1-class vehicles that are manufactured or imported in India and have a gross weight under 3.5 tonnes, and are authorised to transport up to eight passengers in addition to the driver are eligible for the Bharat NCAP crash tests. In addition to testing and rating combustion-engine vehicles, the Bharat NCAP programme will also assess CNG and electric vehicles produced in India.

Parameters of the Bharat NCAP test:

-Structural safety of the car

-Provision of active and passive safety assist technologies

-Pedestrian-friendly design

These three tests will be conducted to assess these parameters:

- Frontal impact test

- Side impact test

- Side pole impact test

Mandatory features to be included:

It has been mandated to feature front and back airbags for the driver and passengers. Reverse parking sensors, cameras, speed alert systems, electronic stability to avoid skidding and loss of control, prevention of wheel lock-up, seat belt reminders, and lock-braking systems have also been made mandatory.

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What will change after the new Bharat NCAP comes into effect?

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the official approval of BNCAP on Tuesday. He also stated that Bharat NCAP has already received over 30 requests for testing vehicles. Bharat NCAP's new safety regulations will make it easier for Indian automobiles to compete in the international market. It will expand the country's auto industry's export potential and help the nation build a market for cars that prioritise safety.