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The Centre has launched the country’s first crash-testing safety rating regime, the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP). The rating programme was announced last year and launched by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday.
Under the voluntary
programme, automobile manufacturers will have the option to get their vehicles tested and be accorded star ratings based on their performance in crash tests and on other safety parameters, which will be based on the Automotive Industry Standard 197.
“Bharat NCAP will prove to be a critical instrument in making our automotive industry atmanirbhar with the mission of making India the no. 1 automobile hub in the world,” said Gadkari.
The minister added that the standards under Bharat NCAP are not much different from global ones, and the Centre aims to bring these on a par with global standards.
Under Bharat NCAP, cars will be tested on three parameters: adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, and the fitment of safety-assist technologies.
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The cars will be tested on front-crash impact, side-crash impact, and pole-side impact, being marked out of 49 with a consequential rating between zero and five.
The frontal-crash test will be conducted at a speed of 64 kilometres per hour (kmph). The side-crash and pole-side impact tests will be done at 50 kmph and 29 kmph, respectively.
“The market today is not cost-centric but quality-centric. It is cautious about the quality, the model, and the design. The companies that are making good models using good technology will see their share go up in the market, and those who don’t want to change or upgrade are already facing the consequences,” said Gadkari.
The minister added that India has huge export potential, and with high safety standards, Indian cars will be able to compete better in the global market, increasing the export potential of car manufacturers in India. The programme is expected to develop a safety-sensitive car market in India, he said.
“As of now, we have almost 150,000 road fatalities. In terms of accidents, we have fewer than the US, but in terms of fatalities, we have many more than the US. What is the difference? If accidents are happening and our speeds are slower, why are there more fatalities?” asked Road Transport Secretary Anurag Jain at the event.
Jain said that the Centre has included two primary changes to the Global NCAP: following Indian standards over global standards and developing an arithmetic that does not penalise automobile makers for having considerably better scores in one of the two tests.
Global standards have a penal provision so as to push carmakers to develop safety both on the side and front instead of just one, Jain said.
Currently, there is no mandatory safety testing or standard for Indian cars.
The Global NCAP is a voluntary rating exercise that only a handful of carmakers choose to take up, as it is costly. Also, several Indian carmakers, including Maruti Suzuki India (MSIL), have repeatedly raised questions about the Global NCAP process, as they have always fared poorly in its ratings.
Gadkari pointed out that the cost of crash-testing cars for safety ratings internationally is Rs 2.5 crore, while it is much lower at Rs 60 lakh under the Bharat NCAP regime. Gadkari added that original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) across the country have already sent in 30 models for crash testing.
Multiple experts agreed that in the current ecosystem, OEMs might find it better to switch from Global NCAP to Bharat NCAP rather than not get their vehicles tested at all.
MSIL, the largest passenger vehicle carmaker in India, said it has already committed to offering at least three models for Bharat NCAP testing in the first phase.
Rahul Bharti, executive officer of corporate affairs at MSIL, said: “Any car launched in India follows the mandatory safety standards set by the government. For consumers seeking extra safety information, the Bharat NCAP system is an authentic and objective rating system to empower the customer to make an informed choice.”
Other major automobile players, such as Hyundai Motor India, Kia India, and Tata Motors, also welcomed the move.
Sector experts also said the impact of Bharat NCAP on safety will be substantial.
“These testing norms are completely voluntary. However, customers are getting more safety- and health-conscious, and hence there will be market forces that will eventually drive OEMs to get their vehicles tested to gain a higher market share,” said Rajeev Singh, partner and consumer industry leader at Deloitte Asia Pacific.
The initiative will also lead to short-term cost increases for the sector, according to experts.
“While this may lead to increased vehicle costs due to investments in safety features, the benefits of improved safety are expected to outweigh the costs. The Indian automotive industry will need to invest in research and development, submit cars for Bharat NCAP testing, educate consumers about safety ratings, and ensure compliance with Bharat NCAP regulations to successfully navigate this new initiative,” said Aviral Kapoor, partner at Alagh & Kapoor Law Offices.
Mohit Bakshi, a partner at DSK Legal, seconded it.
“While selecting a vehicle, the price of the vehicle is no longer the sole criterion in the minds of the customers. The quality and safety features of the vehicle are equally important factors considered by them,” he said.
Gadkari also called on agencies like the Automotive Research Association of India and the National Automotive Test Tracks to develop in-house crash testing facilities.
The road transport minister has been critical of both poor road engineering and automobile engineering and hopes to reconstruct India’s passenger transport infrastructure with this initiative.
In 1973, the US was the first country to start a programme that provided information on car safety with regard to crashes to customers. Later, a number of similar programmes were started across regions. In 2011, a UK-based charity, Towards Zero Foundation, formed the Global NCAP to enhance cooperation among the various NCAPs.
