Bharat NCAP: The Crash Test Rating System

Vehicle Assessment & Safety Test

The Bharat New Car Assessment Program (NCAP) was announced last year by Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India. Now he has officially launched it on 22 August, 2023 and will come into effect from October 1, 2023.

One of the things I liked best about what he said was that “the market today is not cost-centric but quality-centric.”

Let’s start today’s blog, in which I will try to explain how Bharat NCAP is going to bring a new change in the auto industry.

What is the Bharat NCAP?

The Bharat NCAP Crash Test Rating System assesses cars rated 3 or more through three key tests: frontal impact at 64 kmph, side impact, and side pole impact at 29 kmph.

The Bharat NCAP is a safety rating system for cars in India, aiming to assess their safety. It is aligned with global crash test protocols and will have ratings from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating safer cars. The evaluation covers adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, and safety assist technologies.

Bharat NCAP is a consumer-centric platform that encourages automakers to participate in the development of safer vehicles. It aims to reduce road traffic injuries, a leading cause of death globally, with India accounting for 11% of these fatalities, primarily in low- and middle-income countries.

According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways the introduction of the India NCAP is anticipated to further efforts to increase road safety by raising the country’s safety standards for motor vehicles weighing up to 3.5 tonnes.

Is Bharat NCAP going to bring a new revolution?

Bharat NCAP is voluntary, but in some cases, cars may undergo crash tests, such as for popular variants or models recommended by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Sending cars to crash test labs in other countries used to be something that carmakers did on their own. At Europe’s Global NCAP, cars made for the Indian market were put through their paces. On the other hand, with the Bharat NCAP, automakers can ship their cars to Indian sites that have been approved by the government. This cuts the cost of testing by a huge amount. Nitin Gadkari said at the opening of the center in India that automakers would save an average of Rs 2.5 crore on each car because they wouldn’t have to send them to Europe for testing.

How car manufacturers responded to Bharat NCAP.

Manufacturers in India are happy with the new way of doing crash tests.

Mr. Gadkari said that 30 different types of cars made by different companies have been given to BNCAP for free trials.

Maruti Suzuki said that at least three cars would be sent to the first round of BNCAP tests.

Since the safety grades are available, makers will have to ask for them.

For the crash test, each brand of car can only send in its most basic trim level.

Overall, the long-awaited Bharat NCAP will make it easier for Indian automakers to test their goods in line with AIS 197.

The minister also said that this would make people safer and help Indian cars sell better abroad.

I hope after introducing Bharat NCAP the auto companies will make more safe vehicles in India.

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