Bharat NCAP 2 to roll out from October 2027, entire vehicle safety chain to be assessed: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Mr. Nitin Gadkari
- IBEF
- September 7, 2026
Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, announced that the government is preparing the second phase of the Bharat New Car Assessment Programme (Bharat NCAP 2.0), which is scheduled to come into effect from October 2027. The next phase will broaden vehicle safety assessment beyond occupant protection and evaluate the entire crash chain, covering crash avoidance, pedestrian protection and post-crash evacuation and care. The expanded programme is expected to incorporate new global safety technologies as well as solutions developed by Indian startups, strengthening India’s focus on advanced automotive safety standards. Mr. Nitin Gadkari also invited vehicle manufacturers to submit suggestions based on their technical expertise, research and safety practices followed in international markets, supporting greater industry participation in the development of the enhanced safety framework.
The proposed Bharat NCAP 2.0 framework builds on draft rules notified by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in November 2025 under AIS-197 (Revision 1). The proposed 100-point assessment system covers crash protection with 55 points, pedestrian and vulnerable road-user protection with 20 points, safe driving features with 10 points, accident-avoidance technology with 10 points and post-crash safety with five points. Safety requirements for a five-star rating are also proposed to become more stringent, with a minimum score of 70 points from 2027 and 80 points from 2029. The proposal includes additional crash tests, including full-width frontal, oblique pole-impact and rear-impact tests, while the speed requirement for the existing side-pole test would also increase. Curtain airbags and electronic stability control (ESC) would also be required as standard for vehicles seeking a star rating, further strengthening safety expectations for passenger vehicles in India.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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