Bharat NCAP to come into effect from October 1. All you need to know

India is all set to get its own car crash safety star rating from October 1 this year, which is expected to make the cars in the country safer than they are currently. Christened as Bharat New Car Assessment Programme or Bharat NCAP, how will it work and how will it benefit the Indian consumers and the industry? There are multiple questions around the Bharat NCAP, which HT Auto tries to decode here.

Bharat New Car Assessment Programme or Bharat NCAP is the most awaited safety norm for cars in India. Slated to be implemented from October 1 this year, this is expected to make future cars in India safer than they are currently. Major auto manufacturers present in India, including Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors, Toyota, Skoda, Kia and Mahindra have already welcomed this move from the Government of India.

Under this safety norm, cars made in India for the country's consumers will be tested for safety. The automakers who manufacture vehicles in the country or import their vehicles from overseas will need to undergo the safety test voluntarily. The crash test and safety ratings will be in accordance with the Automotive Industry Standard (AIS)-197.

Here are all the details you want to know about the Bharat NCAP.

Bharat NCAP: Testing parameters

The parameters of Bharat NCAP have been finalised by the Indian government. The parameters of the safety norm take various factors into consideration. These include an assessment of the car's pedestrian-friendly design, the structural safety of the vehicle, the provision of active and passive safety assist technologies, and the safety of adult and child occupants on the vehicle. Combined, these factors will determine the rating of the vehicle, just like Global NCAP or Euro NCAP.

The Government of India has said that the Bharat NCAP's testing protocol is aligned with the global crash test protocols. There will be star ratings for the vehicles from one to five, which will define the safety level of a specific car. Bharat NCAP comes as a voluntary program, but the OEMs will be encouraged to share sample vehicles for testing. Also, the testing agency will have the liberty to pick up car models from the showrooms as well.

Bharat NCAP: Which vehicles will qualify for crash tests?

The Bharat NCAP crash test ratings will be enforced for vehicles with type approval for up to eight-seater models, including the driver's seats. Vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of lower than 3.5 tonnes, manufactured or imported in India will have to undergo the Bharat NCAP crash tests. Besides the conventional petrol and diesel engine-powered vehicles, CNG and electric vehicles too will be tested under the Bharat NCAP.

The Bharat NCAP safety norm is expected to benefit homegrown automakers since they will no longer have to send their sample vehicles to Global NCAP for crash testing and star grading, considering it is a highly expensive process.