Make India a global hub for vehicle crash testing

Local safety ratings are on their way under India's BNCAP. If these are just as reliable as GNCAP and cost less, then it'll be a global edge we must deploy well. It's a credibility game

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India now has its own vehicle crash testing initiative for car-makers to get independent safety ratings along the lines of the Global New Car Assessment Programme (GNCAP), with which the road transport ministry has tied up to roll this idea out. These tests, which involve smash-ups to check the impact on dummy occupants, are not mandatory. They are voluntary, a device for car marketers to boost customer confidence. With our domestic market projected to grow faster than other major markets, and even first-time buyers getting discerning, the moment was thought apt for local safety scores to guide purchase choices. Indian roads, let’s not forget, are notorious for being the world’s most deadly. How well this project picks up will depend on the credibility of these ratings as we go along.