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Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has informed that the Indian government is working on implementing the next phase of the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme called Bharat NCAP 2.0 starting from October 2027. Gadkari made this announcement at the 66th SIAM Annual Convention. According to Gadkari, the NCAP program will now go beyond merely assessing occupant protection in a car crash. The evaluation process will now cover all aspects of the crash chain from accident avoidance to the post-crash stage.
More Stringent Scoring Criteria
As per the criteria set up by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways under AIS-197 (Revision 1), each car will be given scores up to 100 points in five different categories. Of all the categories, crash protection carries the most weight with 55 points while the remaining categories include pedestrian protection, safe driving aids, accident avoidance systems, and post-crash safety, each with 20, 10, 10, and 5 points, respectively.
Higher Bar For A Five Star Rating
The qualifying criteria for a five-star safety rating are also set to become significantly tougher. From 2027, a car will need to score at least 70 out of 100 to earn five stars, and this threshold is proposed to rise further to 80 points by 2029. Features such as Electronic Stability Control and curtain airbags could also become key requirements for vehicles aiming for higher ratings under the revised system.
More Crash Tests On The Way
Beyond the existing evaluation methods, the new phase proposes additional tests, including a 50 kmph full width frontal crash test, a 32 kmph oblique pole impact test, and a 50 kmph rear impact test. The speed for the existing side pole test is also expected to go up, making the overall assessment more rigorous than the current programme.
What It Means For Car Buyers?
For buyers, this shift means a high safety rating will no longer depend on just a handful of crash results but on a much wider set of parameters, including how well a car protects pedestrians and how manageable the aftermath of a crash is. Gadkari noted that Bharat NCAP has already tested around 30 vehicles since its launch and has invited manufacturers to submit suggestions based on global safety practices ahead of the rollout. He added that the programme has also drawn interest from automakers in other countries sending their vehicles for testing in India.
Khushi Patel is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX, covering automotive, technology, Lifestyle, entertainment, and mainstream news. She previously worked as a Copy Editor at Times Network and has written automotive editorial content, including comparison pieces, for TimesDrive.
