SAFER INDIA

India to introduce its own New Car Assessment Programme, dubbed the Bharat NCAP

- SAYANTAN DE

Back in 2022, news broke out about the Bharat NCAP tests to commence from April 1, 2023 onwards. It has now been announced that the rollout is set to happen as soon as October 1, 2023. India is the third-largest car market in the world, having overtaken Japan in 2022. With sales reaching 4.4 million units in the calendar year 2022, we are one of the single largest car markets in the world, after the giants that are China and USA, with annual sales of 24.8 and 13.8 million respectively for the same year. Japan, however, still produces more vehicles than India, but a substantial part of that production is earmarked for exports. Considering the stratospheric growth of the car market in India (it grew by 23.4 percent in 2022), it is high time that we have our own New Car Assessment Programme.