India NCAP Program 2023
Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari launched the India New Car Assessment Program (India NCAP) in New Delhi. The program aims to enhance road safety in India by raising vehicle safety standards for vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes. India NCAP will also significantly boost the safety and quality of vehicles in India, as well as promote healthy competition among OEMs to manufacture safer vehicles.
The program will be applicable to M-1 category approved vehicles below 3.5t GVW. This is an optional program in which different types of vehicles of the prescribed model will be tested. The program will start from October 1, 2023 and will be based on the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197. The objective of the program is to develop an eco-system of competitive security enhancement, thereby creating awareness among the consumers. Consumers can make a decision about the vehicle by doing a comparative evaluation of the vehicle through 'crash-test'.
What is Bharat NCAP?
Bharat NCAP is a safety assessment initiative launched by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Its objective is to evaluate the safety performance of passenger vehicles in India weighing less than 3.5 tonnes and carrying up to eight passengers. It has been designed to match India's safety standards with countries like the US, Australia, Japan and the UK. In this, vehicles will be given a star rating based on crash tests and point-based evaluation.
Benefits of India NCAP
- India NCAP will help in improving the safety of vehicles in India.
- This will promote healthy competition among OEMs to manufacture safer vehicles.
- This will help in creating awareness among the consumers about the safety features of the vehicles.
- This will help in reducing the number of road accidents and deaths in India.