The automotive industry on Tuesday praised Bharat NCAP, India's first crash testing program, saying it would raise vehicle safety standards in the nation and assist consumers in making educated purchases by providing an honest and objective rating system.
The Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Program), which aims to raise the standards of road safety for motor vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes, was introduced by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday.
Every automobile introduced in India complies with the governmental safety regulations, making it safe. The Bharat NCAP (BNCAP) system is an honest and unbiased rating system to enable the customer to make an informed choice, whether they are consumers looking for additional safety or manufacturers offering additional safety features.
Rahul Bharti, executive officer of corporate affairs at Maruti Suzuki India, said in a statement He added that Maruti Suzuki supports the government's initiative and will provide at least three models for BNCAP testing in the first lot alone.
The Managing Director of Hyundai Motor India Ltd welcomed the BNCAP safety initiative and stated that it will improve safety standards, arm consumers with crucial information, and make Indian roads safer for everyone.
"At Hyundai Motor India, we remain committed to delivering the highest safety standards across our entire product range," he continued.
In a similar vein, Veejay Nakra, president of M&M's automotive division, stated that "safety has always been our top priority, which is evident from the fact that our products routinely receive 5-star and 4-star Global NCAP (GNCAP) ratings. We think MoRTH's initiative to launch Bharat NCAP is praiseworthy and will help raise the bar for vehicle safety in India.
The speaker continued, "We will keep customers at the forefront of our journey of innovation and integrating safety with advanced technology while shaping a safer automotive future for India."
"The BNCAP initiative will go a long way in educating customers in making informed purchase decisions, which would now be very strongly influenced by the safety parameters of the vehicle," said Vinod Aggarwal, president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
The program, according to him, "will eventually assist market forces in pushing vehicle manufacturers to offer safer vehicles, with potential to bring about an everlasting change in the attitude of customers during the purchase."
According to Vikram Gulati, Country Head and Executive Vice President of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, the initiative comes at a time when consumers are looking for vehicles that meet the highest standards of safety.
By enabling them to understand the relative safety aspects of the various products on offer, he added, "consumers will not only be empowered, but this will also help bring about greater awareness and further transparency." According to Myung-Sik Sohn, Chief Sales and Business Officer at Kia India, BNCAP is an improved road safety movement that goes far beyond just car safety ratings.
"We wholeheartedly applaud the Government of India for its forward-thinking approach to safety, which includes both active and passive safety components, and we will abide by it. This action eliminates the need for and associated costs of testing vehicles outside and is in line with the Atmanirbhar Vision of the Indian government, he continued.
According to Sohn, it will significantly boost the reputation of Indian products around the world by giving them high ratings. Vinnie Mehta, director general of the ACMA, described the BNCAP protocol's introduction as historic.
He continued, "It will result in the integration of cutting-edge safety features in vehicles, thereby reducing the risk of traffic accidents and fatalities." According to Shailesh Chandra, managing director of Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, customer safety has always been a top priority for the company, and Bharat NCAP perfectly reflects this commitment.
Rajeev Singh, Asia Pacific Partner and Consumer Industry Leader for Deloitte, said Bharat NCAP is a significant advancement in terms of enabling consumers to make informed decisions, facilitating faster and more affordable OEM testing, assisting in the development of safer vehicle designs, and ultimately raising road safety.
The Bharat NCAP will go into effect on October 1st, 2023.
Automobile manufacturers may voluntarily submit their vehicles for testing in
accordance with the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS) 197 under the program.
AOP (adult occupant performance) and COP (child occupant performance) star ratings will be given to the vehicle based on how well it performed in the tests. Gadkari stated at the launch event that the BNCAP mechanism had been developed methodically while taking into account the opinions of all stakeholders.
