Bharat NCAP: India’s car assessment program

What is Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP)?

Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP) is an automotive safety program that comes under the Indian government to evaluate the safety performance of vehicles, similar to Global-NCAP used worldwide. Bharat NCAP assesses and rates vehicles based on their safety features and crashworthiness. Bharat NCAP is trying to provide safe and robust quality vehicle in the market with higher safety standards by providing various types of crash test. It tests the adult, children and pedestrians’ safety with the help of the assessment program. The safety ratings provided by Bharat NCAP are intended to guide consumers’ decisions about the safety of vehicles available in the Indian market. Higher safety ratings with better crashworthiness and safety features will contribute to road safety. The Bharat NCAP Program is applicable for M1 category vehicles to evaluate whose weight is less than 3.5T GVW. This is a voluntary program in which the base model of the vehicle is tested. In 2023 Aug, this program was launched by Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari and the program came into force from 1st Oct 2023.

Benefits of Bharat NCAP

Consumer Awareness – Consumer Awareness – The primary benefits of this car assessment program is  to enhances consumer awareness about the safety features and performance of vehicles, and to help the buyers to choose the safest automobile.
Vehicle Safety Standards – Bharat NCAP encourages the automakers to enhance the safety standards of the vehicle to gain better ratings. This program helps to improve safety features and the design of cars.
Reducing Road Casualties – NCAP promotes the adoption of safer vehicles, and aims to reduce the road accident and injuries improving the road safety in India.

Challenges of Bharat NCAP

Automakers Revolt – While implementing rigorous safety standards by NCAP, it has to face resistance from some automakers, especially those who want good ratings for their vehicles without meeting the significant requirements and modifications to their existing models.
Cost Implications – The price of the vehicle may fluctuate or increase because of the safety feature. Additionally, the charge of car assessment program could be a reason as well as the new changes for safety can affect the automakers company.    
Public Awareness – Ensuring that consumers are aware about road safety and prioritize vehicles having good safety ratings when they are making a decision to purchase a vehicle. Many consumers may still prioritize other factors such as fuel efficiency or price.
Enforcement and Compliance – Ensuring that all vehicles comply with the safety standards set by Bharat NCAP requires effective enforcement mechanisms. Lack of compliance could lower the effectiveness of the program.

Conclusion

Bharat NCAP plays a crucial role in promoting vehicle safety and raising awareness among consumers. It presents several benefits in terms of improved safety standards and reduced road casualties. There are some challenges occurs to automaker and the need is to take care about vehicles safety features.  To overcome these challenges, it requires a collaborative effort between the government, industry stakeholders and the public. The main motive of Bharat NCAP is to ensure the successful implementation and long-term impact of road safety in India. This program should also start an assessment for commercial vehicles.