A car can have airbags, a strong body and a good crash-test score. But what happens before a crash, when a pedestrian is involved, or after an accident? India’s next car safety programme wants to look at all of these areas.
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has announced that Bharat NCAP 2.0 is planned to start from October 2027. The second phase will cover more parts of vehicle safety than the current Bharat NCAP system.
More than just crash protection
The present Bharat NCAP programme mainly helps buyers understand how well a car protects its occupants during a crash. The new system will broaden that check. The proposed Bharat NCAP 2.0 framework will look at:
- Crash protection: 55 points
- Pedestrian and vulnerable road user safety: 20 points
- Safe driving features: 10 points
- Accident avoidance technology: 10 points
- Post-crash safety: 5 points
This gives a total of 100 points.
Safety features such as ADAS, automatic emergency braking and electronic stability control will get more importance. Curtain airbags are also proposed as a requirement for a vehicle to receive a star rating.
More crash tests planned
The second phase is also expected to add more testing. The proposed rules include a full-width frontal crash test, rear-impact test and an oblique pole test. The speed of the side-pole test is also proposed to increase.
For buyers, this could mean that a high safety rating will depend on more than just a few crash results.
5-star rating could become harder
The score needed for the highest rating is also proposed to increase. From 2027, a car may need at least 70 points out of 100 for a 5-star rating. From 2029, that figure could rise further to 80 points.
| Safety area | Proposed points |
|---|---|
| Crash protection | 55 |
| Pedestrian safety | 20 |
| Safe driving features | 10 |
| Accident avoidance | 10 |
| Post-crash safety | 5 |
| Total | 100 |
Focus on what happens after a crash
One of the bigger changes is post-crash safety. The assessment will look at evacuation and care after an accident.
Gadkari said the government also wants to consider newer safety technologies from other countries and products developed by Indian start-ups. Car manufacturers have been invited to share their suggestions and technical inputs.
Bharat NCAP has already received a response from the industry. More than 30 models from 11 companies have been certified under the programme, according to Gadkari. He also said testing under Bharat NCAP costs much less than some international testing systems.
Driving behaviour also under review
Gadkari also spoke about a proposed points system for driving licences.
Drivers could lose points for repeated traffic violations. Those who cross the permitted limit could face suspension or cancellation of their licence. Drivers with good records may also receive benefits from insurers or other organisations.
The government is also working on more driver training centres. Around 10 lakh drivers have reportedly been trained so far.
What it means for car buyers
Bharat NCAP 2.0 could give buyers a wider picture of vehicle safety. A car will not be judged only by how it performs when a crash has already happened.
The new system is still based on proposed rules and further details can change before the 2027 rollout. Still, the direction is clear: safety testing in India is moving towards a broader system.