'Star Ratings' for automobiles based on crash test performance: Gadkari

NEW DELHI: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday proposed a new mechanism Bharat NCAP whereby automobiles in the country will be given 'Star Ratings' looking at their performance in crash tests.

Gadkari said in a series of tweets that the Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP) would serve as a customer-centric platform that gave them the option of selecting safer cars based on Star Ratings. This would ensure that healthy competition would be promoted while among original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in India for the manufacture of safe vehicles.

"I have now approved the draft GSR notification to introduce Bharat NCAP (New Car Assessment Program), wherein automobiles in India shall be accorded Star Ratings based upon their performance in crash tests," he said.

The Minister for Road Transport and Highways stated that the Indian cars would be given a Star- Rating based on crash test performance. This, according to him, is important not just to safeguard the structural safety of the cars and the protection of the passengers, but also to enhance the export-eligibility of Indian vehicles.

Bharat NCAP's testing protocol will be in line with the global crash-test protocols which will factor in the existing Indian regulations, which will allow OEMs to test their vehicles at India's own in-house testing facilities, Gadkari said.

Bharat NCAP, according to the minister, will be a critical tool in making our automobile industry Aatmanirbhar with the goal of making India the best automobile hub in the world.

With inputs from PTI