Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, launches Bharat NCAP Crash ratings at an event on Tuesday. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Global NCAP joined hands to announce India’s car crash test ratings and it will be effective from October 1, 2023. With this announcement, India becomes the fifth country in the world to have its own crash test norms.

Not only that, but Gadkari also announced that BNCAP has already got over 30 requests for testing models and said he is happy to see companies accepting the newly introduced BharatNCAP program.

Bharat NCAP Is Aligned With Global Testing Protocols:

As reported earlier, Bharat NCAP will be rating the tested vehicles between 1-5 stars, where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest. It was also reported that based on the performance of the vehicles in the tests, the car models will be awarded a separate rating for adults and children.

Bharat NCAP Parameters:

The cars will be tested on a variety of parameters including the structural safety of the car, provision of active and passive safety assist technologies, safety of adult and child occupants and pedestrian-friendly design.

READ: Bharat NCAP Launch Tomorrow: Know All About New Indian Vehicle Safety Norms

Bharat NCAP: Which Vehicles Can Be Tested?

The new Bharat NCAP crash test program is based on the Automotive Industry standard AIS 197 and the vehicles which have the capability of carrying up to 8 passengers, have a weight of less than 3.5 tonnes and fall under the M1 category can be tested. All the vehicles (imported or made in India) including the CNG, EVs and ICE-powered engines are eligible for testing.

Bharat NCAP: Procedure For Testing

If the vehicle is nominated by the car manufacturer, the assigned BNCAP team will visit the company's centre and randomly select the vehicle, after which the vehicle will be dispatched to the testing centre by the manufacturer. The unit will then be tested, and the process will be observed by car manufacturers and the assigned team. The test results will then be compiled and shared with the car manufacturer and the standing committee for approval, after which the vehicle ratings will be published and the CIRT (Central Institute of Road Transport) certificate will be issued.

Bharat NCAP: Steps For Evaluation

The test will be conducted based on Adult and Child occupant protection along with safety features. It will be testing the front impact, side impact and pole impact and the speed at which the test will be carried out is 64 kmph, just like Global NCAP.