Nitin Gadkari approves draft of Bharat-NCAP car safety rating system

Bharat NCAP's testing protocol to be aligned with global crash-test protocols keeping in mind the Indian regulations

Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday approved the draft notification introducing Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) for Indian cars, which will be accorded “star ratings” based on their performance in crash tests and on other safety parameters once the rule is finalised.

This will be the first for India’s car market, which does not have safety ratings.

It’s not immediately clear whether these ratings will be mandatory. Auto firms in India follow AIS-145 (automotive Indian standard-145), which enforces safety features for vehicles such as seatbelts tell-tale, passenger airbags, and the speed limit alarm. This standard has created