What is Bharat NCAP rating for cars?

Indian roads are the most lethal. According to an estimate, at least 14 people get killed every hour on the roads here. The government recently told the Parliament that the country accounts for the maximum number of road accident deaths.  

The government’s plan to introduce Bharat New Car Assessment Program or NCAP is being seen as a step towards minimising these casualties.

In line with the global standards, union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari recently approved a draft notification for Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Program). The Bharat NCAP is a rating based safety assessment of Indian cars based on various parameters. It will be aligned with global benchmark testing protocols. Once the Bharat NCAP program is adopted, cars will be assigned a “safety” star rating from one to five and consumers will be able to make informed choices.

Getting star ratings to their cars is a global standard followed by many leading automakers. While different regions and countries have their own NCAP programs, a Global NCAP was formed in 2011 to enhance cooperation between various NCAPs and promote vehicle crash testing in emerging markets.  
 

How is the star rating assigned?

The star rating will be assigned to cars based on the scores achieved in various parameters. The global NCAP conducts front and side impact crash tests and the cars will be evaluated on various assessment tests such as child and adult occupant protection.

For instance, in November 2021, the Mahindra XUV700 received a five-star rating from Global NCAP for adult occupant protection and four stars for child occupant protection.

For Bharat NCAP star rating too, the vehicles will be evaluated on adult occupant protection child occupant protection and safety assist technologies.

Union minister Gadkari said the star rating of cars based on crash tests will not only ensure structural and passenger safety in cars, but also raise the potential of exports. It will also act as an incentive for car makers as they move to advanced safety technologies to earn higher ratings.